A joint Pre Budget Submission with the All Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education and Training (AIEB) and the Community Development network
Community development, or community work, is a long-acknowledged approach to addressing poverty, social exclusion and inequality. With support from the State, Ireland developed an internationally recognized community development infrastructure and a vibrant community work sector. While policy decisions and resource cuts for over a decade have had a considerable impact on this infrastructure, the recent establishment of the pilot Community Development Programme shows a measure of acknowledgement on the part of the State of the importance of supporting vibrant community work as a critical feature of the work to achieve equality for marginalised communities.
This Pre-Budget 2024 submission focuses on the promotion of autonomous community development through the extension of the Community Development Programme and the need to fund and support an improvement in the terms and conditions for community workers working under a variety of programmes.
