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EAPN Ireland and its members (ATD is one of them) have welcomed measures announced in Budget 2015 to undo some of the cuts in income and services which have devastated the lives of people on low income since 2008. This now needs to be part of a more systematic medium-term plan to rebuild Ireland’s public services and welfare system and access to decent work. EAPN Ireland welcomed the changes to the Universal Social Charge, the Qualified Child Increase, Child Benefit and partial restoration of the Christmas bonus.  They also welcomed new resources for construction of social housing, to address homelessness and…

From 15th to 19th October, ATD Ireland welcomes to Dublin 6 members of ATD Poland from Strzelce Opolskie, Kielce and Warsaw. ATD volunteers started to run a policy forum with homeless people gathered at the train station in Kielce in 2000. ATD projects involve now children, young people and adults in Warsaw and Kielce. More in Polish at www.atd.org.pl Polish delegation will participate to the events marking the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Full programme of events in Dublin and Ireland on-line at www.17october.ie Below, in Polish, the invitation to the Dublin and to the Warsaw events.

People on low incomes, women and minorities, who gained least in the boom years, have suffered most in the recession.  Over a quarter of the population are now officially counted as experiencing deprivation, including many who are working, because of unemployment and service and welfare cuts. Budget 2015 must urgently address the widespread suffering reported by our members and the people they represent and work with and signal a medium term strategy to build a more equal and inclusive Ireland. ATD with the other members of the Community Platform  will judge Budget 2015 particularly in terms of the four tests presented…

For children, the ATD "Tapori" children network project is launching a new campaign. Groups of children are asked to build a mobile to represent a world where everyone has a place. Each child is invited to make a piece of this mobile in order to know each other better and to be better known. You can download the latest September-October 2014 Tapori newsletter and activity newslette to find out more information about it. Tapori is a worldwide network of children from all backgrounds whose motto is: "We want all children to have the same chances."  All around the world children dream…

Isabel Perrin, Director General of ATD International, tells of the life and work of an Irish activist who incarnated the theme of October 17th 2014: "Leave No One Behind: Think, Decide, and Act Together." The room where the International Committee for October 17 was meeting echoed with discussion of the theme projected in huge letters on the wall: “Leave no one behind: think, decide, and act together.” Jackie, a member of ATD Fourth World Ireland who had been invited by the committee rose to speak: “I can’t keep my door closed if I know that people are on the street…” Jackie…

The Irish 17 October Committee and ATD as one of its members is looking for volunteers to support the preparation of the next UN Day for Eradication of Poverty Gathering on Custom House Quay in Dublin. You want to support the events marking the next UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Friday 17 October? You are interested to discover the history of this UN Day and its impacts worldwide? You would like to know more about how people experiencing severe and chronic poverty can act as experts and have their say in policies for a just and sustainable world? Write…

A call for the Government to accept the recommendation of the Constitutional Convention that economic, social and cultural rights be given enhanced protection in the Constitution ATD with many organisations gathered by the Economic, Social and Cultural (ESC) Rights Initiative  wrote on 26 September 2014 to the Taoiseach and to the Tánaiste. On 31 March the Constitutional Convention recommended to the Government, by an overwhelming majority of 85%, that ESC rights be given enhanced protection in the Constitution. The Government was due to respond to the recommendation by the end of July. Disappointingly and in breach of the Conventions’ terms of…

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan TD, signed and ratified the Third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in New York on 24th September 2014. The Children’s Rights Alliance and its members have campaigned for Ireland to sign and ratify this important procedure since 2012. This is a tremendous achievement for Minister Reilly, Minister Flanagan and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs who have worked tirelessly to get this protocol ratified in record time. Now children’s rights will be protected at the highest level. Ireland is one of the first countries in the…

Irish overseas aid agencies called on the Government to ensure it made no further cuts to the overseas aid budget and to set out how it will meet the 0.7% ODA/GNI target it had originally committed to achieving by 2015. The call was made by the members of Dóchas www.dochas.ie, the umbrella group of 62 Irish Development NGO and global justice groups, as they presented their 2015 pre-Budget Submission to the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan TD. Presenting the submission, Hans Zomer of Dóchas said: “Ireland’s overseas aid is effective. It makes real and positive differences to the lives of millions…