Minister must reverse decision to cut funding to Estate Management projects

Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has urged the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, TD, to intervene and reverse the 75% cut to funding imposed recently on the Fettercairn Estate Management projects.
Deputy Crowe raised the issue at this month’s Oireachtas meeting in South Dublin County Council after four staff working on the management projects were put on protective notice.

He continued: “There are four community safety scheme workers based in Clondalkin and Tallaght who provide vital services to local communities at very little cost to the exchequer.

“They coordinate the work of the local community safety forum which provides a vital link between the Garda and the wider community. They also engage with a range of statutory organisations and they help at risk young people participate in positive activities so they can give something back into the community. This often prevents many from ending up in jail which is estimated to cost the Exchequer €90k a year.

“A one line email sent from the Department of the Environment informing both estate management projects that they were facing 75% cuts will mean they will receive around €11,000 per project for the next 3 months. They were given a stark choice – use this money to cover wages or make redundancy payments. The funding is due to end completely in March.

“The people who manage these important schemes are understandably devastated by how they have been treated. For many years they have worked tirelessly, in often dangerous circumstances, to build a better quality of life for the residents of Fettercairn and Killinarden. Both of these communities are in RAPID areas and face huge disadvantages. Their plight has been made all the more difficult by the economic downturn, rising crime rates, job losses, cuts in social welfare, reduction in in wages, raised taxes, and household charges.

“I have attempted to have this matter debated in the Dáil under Topical Issues because if these positions are lost, which looks likely, then it will have a devastating impact in these areas. If this happens again, then any savings made by these very minimal cuts, will be offset many times over by the inevitable rise in anti-social behaviour, criminality and crime.”