Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
48. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development given that the community, voluntary and charity sector have expressed deep concerns about the recruitment and retention of staff, the measures that are being taken by her to deal with this crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41496/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI ask the Minister about the community and voluntary charity sector, which has expressed deep concerns about the recruitment and retention of staff, the measures being taken to deal with the crisis, and if the Minister will make a statement on the matter.
I thank the Deputy for the question. The Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019. This is a whole-of-government strategy led by my Department, which is implemented collaboratively with the sector through the cross sector group on local and community development. This strategy reaffirms the Government's commitment to supporting the sector, while also recognising the reality of finite resources and the need to ensure that available resources are focused on providing effective services. The strategy includes a commitment to develop a sustainable funding model to support the community and voluntary sector.
My Department is aware of the challenges currently facing organisations in the sector around the recruitment and retention of staff. Community and voluntary organisations are funded by a wide range of Government Departments and agencies through different funding schemes and programmes. While my Department provides funding to some community and voluntary organisations, there is no national pay agreement for the community and voluntary sector as a whole. My Department does not have a mandate to set pay rates for what is a wide array of diverse and independent organisations, most of which get funding from other Government Departments.
However, my Department has taken steps in relation to our own programmes. For example, as the Deputy will be aware, a redesigned community services programme, CSP, was launched earlier this year, which introduced a new differentiated funding rate allocation model. Five year multi-annual funding contracts have now been issued to CSP organisations, under which almost all organisations currently supported have received additional funding. A further example of multi-annual funding is the scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector. Funding totalling €22 million is currently provided on a multi-annual basis to 82 organisations under this scheme.
I acknowledge the work that the Minister of State and his Department have done on this. It is critically important for the Government and Ministers sitting around a table to address this issue at a governmental level across the board. When we talk about community-led projects, many would involve sections 38, 39 and 56 organisations in towns. When we talk about the community, voluntary and charity sector, we are talking about a vast array of really vital services that are provided to the community. There is a growing pay gap of between 10% and 12% at those services, which has led to those community, voluntary and charity sector organisations being unable to recruit staff. If one cannot recruit staff, then one cannot provide a service. Some of the services in the community are now unable to provide a full service that they have previously provided, for the simple fact that they do not have the staff and cannot get them because the likes of the HSE and Tusla are recruiting at a much higher grade, with proper pensions and conditions, and all of those things related to working in the public sector. The others in the community and voluntary sector are providing that public service. The Government needs to grapple with this.
I am well aware of the issues with section 39 and other organisations whose main funding relationship is with other Government agencies and Departments. I would encourage both parties back to the table at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. I certainly have a role in government in terms of explaining and pushing the value of community and voluntary organisations with other Departments. We have an agreed approach across Government in terms of how we engage with the community and voluntary sector, and the values and principles document, which has been agreed by all Departments in terms of how we engage with the community and voluntary sector, is a useful guide going forward.
The implications of the pay gap for community and voluntary organisations, particularly section 39 organisations, were laid out to me in some detail by the local group Prosper Fingal, which does amazing work in north County Dublin. I met its CEO recently and I certainly took away some key messages from him that I have brought to senior Government Ministers.
Ivan Cooper, the CEO of The Wheel, recently talked about that service. He said that having lost 40% to 50% of its staff in the last year alone, it is struggling to find experienced people to replace those who have moved on. Less experienced staff cannot reasonably handle as much work as experienced employees or provide care to the same high standard, so the service is forced to reduce the number of individuals it can provide care for or risk a serious fall-off in the quality of that care. We are talking about some of the most vulnerable people who need help and support and need a service, but it is operating with 40% to 50% of the staff and it cannot provide that service with less experienced staff. As somebody who is involved in a community drugs team which will be looking to recruit staff over the coming months, I find it deeply worrying that not just addiction services but services for homeless people, disability services and services right across the board are struggling desperately. I again urge the Minister of State to raise this issue. It needs to be sorted at a cross-governmental level and it needs to be sorted quickly. These services are for people who are the most vulnerable in our society and they need that help and support.
I appreciate the Deputy’s advocacy for those who need those services, which are invaluable. It has been made clear to me the practical difficulties that the pay differential is creating. I think they should be paid more and, within government, we believe they should be paid more. We have gone through the WRC process to land on an agreed figure. We are at an impasse at the moment, which is unfortunate, and I would urge everyone back to the table. These services are crucial and we need to recognise their value in government as well.
