SIPTU has welcomed the passing of a motion at a meeting of Dublin City Council on Monday (7th April), calling on Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan, to reject the privatisation of community programmes and services. The Department of Environment and Local Government is seeking to put the Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) out to tender from 2015, essentially privatising Ireland’s only social inclusion programme. The services provided by the LCDP include training, education, and back to work schemes.SIPTU Sector Organiser, Darragh O’Connor, said: “There is no benefit in pitting community organisations against each other for funding. Privatisation goes against the very ethos of community work which is based on the values of inclusiveness and cooperation”.SIPTU members working in the Community Sector are launching a campaign across the country to challenge the privatisation of social inclusion programmes.
SIPTU welcomes Dublin City Council rejection of Community Sector privatisation
