Government 'sucking life out of marginalised communities'

Larry O’Toole

OVER 1,300 people from marginalised communities across the 26 Counties gathered at Liberty Hall in Dublin this week before marching on the Department of Finance in support of the Community Development Programme. 180 Community Development Projects (CDPs) have already seen up to 20 % cuts so far this year. The McCarthy Report states that these projects ‘show no evidence of value’ and should be axed – a claim strongly contested by protestors from as far afield as Cork, Donegal, Galway and Limerick.
The protestors heard from a number of speakers including Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Larry O’Toole. CDPs are run by local voluntary managements and are responsible for generating millions of euro and hundreds of jobs into disadvantaged areas on a shoestring budget. One speaker was very plain in her comments: “McCarthy is a Fianna Fáil front. This government has tried to suck the energy out of volunteers in the hope that we would walk away. The only walking we will do is on your doors!”