News & Press Room

Macra na Feirme representatives all around Ireland can take some satisfaction from the fact that Minister Frances Fitzgerald and her Department of Children and Youth Affairs have responded to the intense lobbying and representations made by them to their local TD’s who in turn contacted the Minister on Macra’s behalf.

This has directly resulted in a reduction in the proposed cut of 10% to the Youth Services Grant that Macra gets annually for training and development. It is now more likely that the cut will be nearer 5%. Macra acknowledges that the Government must economise and no organisation is immune from this austerity. However it is important that austerity is fairly applied and seen to be so. Already Government funded youth services have been cut 30% since 2008. This is why Macra asked all its leaders to lobby their local politicians to try to limit the proposed cuts.

Macra’s national president Kieran O’Dowd said he was proud of Macra’s young leaders for standing up and asserting their needs and successfully limiting funding cuts to the organisation. He went on to say that it is healthy and right that democratically elected politicians listen and respond to the needs of their constituents.