Draft. Submitted to AGM Contents

Transcription

1 Draft Annual Report Summer 2003 to Summer 2004 Submitted to AGM 2004 European Anti Poverty Network Ireland 5 Gardiner Row Dublin eapn@iol.ie Contents Page Introduction. 3 Work areas 1. Empowering members to understand and influence EU policy 5 2. Working to influence EU and Irish policy 7 3. Building the network in Ireland and Europe 11 Financial report EAPN Ireland is core-funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the National Anti Poverty Networks Programme.

2 Robin Hanan Catherine Joyce Brian Carty Kay Lynch Joe Gallagher Patrick Burke Eric Conroy Philip O Connor (Coordinator) (Irish Traveller Movement) (Policy Support Worker) (Northside Community Law Centre) (Community Workshop In Horticulture) (Threshold) (Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed) (Dublin Employment Pact) Mamar Merzouk Karen Kiernan Ide Lenehan Margaret Deaton Frances Byrne Alex McMahon Eileen Kavanagh (Focus Ireland) (One Family) (Drogheda Community Platform) (Tallaght Centre for the Unemployed) (OPEN - National Network of Lone Parent Groups) (Administrator) (Facilitator) ) Board and Staff at the 2004 Strategic Planning think-in Board of Managements, Eric Conroy Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed Frances Byrne OPEN, National Network of Lone Parents Groups Joe Gallagher Community Workshop in Horticulture Chairperson Karen Kiernan One Family Kay Lynch Northside Community Law Centre Mamar Merzouk Focus Ireland Margaret Deaton Tallaght Centre for the Unemployed Treasurer Patrick Burke Threshold EAPN (Europe) Exec. Phil Mullen, then Catherine Joyce, Irish Traveller Movement Philip O Connor Dublin Employment Pact Task Force on Employment Staff Alex McMahon Administrator Brian Carty Policy Support Worker Robin Hanan Coordinator

3 Introduction The year 2003 to 2004 has been a very active one for EAPN Ireland and for Ireland s role in the European Union (EU). The Irish Presidency of the EU, from January to June 2004, provided an opportunity for members to engage with a wider range of European events than usual and to see many EU decisionmaking processes from a central vantage point. For EAPN Ireland, the Irish Presidency was primarily an opportunity for members to learn more about EU policies and how the affect poverty in Ireland and to engage with policy-makers at the heart of the Council system. Over the year, we held 16 local and regional workshops, with local partners, on poverty issues in the Irish Presidency and, later in the year, on the European Parliament elections. In the first six months of 2004 alone, this involved over 300 participants, showing the interest in understanding and influencing EU policy on poverty. Draft EU Constitution The finalisation of the proposed EU Constitution was one of the highlights of the Irish Presidency. EAPN has argued for many years that the fight against poverty should be an objective of the EU, with policy mechanisms to implement this, and that the Treaties should include a strong Charter of Fundamental Rights and a commitment to openness and civil dialogue. All of these have been achieved to some extent in the agreed draft Constitution, albeit in an extremely watered down form. There is a need for more analysis of how the positive and negative aspects of the draft Constitution balance out, but the inclusion of these sections reflects credit on the Taoiseach, Ministers Cowen and Roche and their officials as well as on the Irish anti-poverty groups who have lobbied and argued for them over the years. to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010 The National Action Plan Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP Inclusion) remained an important focus for our work. We were closely involved in the follow-up to the NAPs Inclusion and the Joint Inclusion Report, in Ireland and across the EU, and we hosted a European seminar on the EU social inclusion strategy and the NAPs Inclusion in May The consensus is that the plans are becoming better and more targeted, but with current Government policies in most countries policies they are not on course to achieve their goal to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by We have also worked with allies in the INOU and CWC to monitor the National Employment Action Plan, EU Structural Funds and the National Development Plan. We are concerned, in particular, that both of these strategies are driven by a faith in increased overall employment levels solving poverty, but may be deepening poverty, particularly among the working poor. 3

4 Trans-European solidarity EAPN Ireland members continued to be active in EAPN (Europe). At the General Assembly in November 2003, Patrick Burke replaced Janice Ransom as our member on the Executive Committee (ExCo). As Treasurer of the European Network for the previous three years, Janice had played a key role in re-organising the Network s finances and in the development of the first EAPN (Europe) Strategic Plan. Our representatives have also been active in the Task Forces and the Network Development Group of EAPN (Europe). Our former Chairperson, Fintan Farrell, is now in his third year as Director of EAPN (Europe), which is going from strength to strength. Welcome, Bulgarian Anti Poverty Network We have continued to work closely with out colleagues in the Bulgarian Anti Poverty Network (BAPN). We were pleased to welcome the new network as full members of the EAPN at the General Assembly in November 2003, and to take part in their discussions on developing a Bulgarian Anti Poverty Strategy. Strengthening our network in Ireland The Board has put a lot of its energy into strengthening the Irish network this year. An evaluation survey of members and discussions on a new strategic Plan have provided opportunities to assess how to make the network more representative and more participative and to improve information and service to members. The Board itself has expanded to take on new talents and areas of expertise. Membership now stands at over 150, while our mailing list for the fortnightly Flash is over 2,000. We would like to thank the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for their core financial support during the year, under the National Anti Poverty Networks Programme, as well as the Combat Poverty Agency and the European Commission who have also made grants available to us for particular areas of work. Where is it all going? As a network we have a good working relationship with key politicians, Departments and agencies at national and EU level who share our commitment to the eradication of poverty. On the other hand, we have to recognise that the main thrust of Government policies in Ireland, and across Europe, and the tone of public and political debate, are deepening poverty and social inequality. This can only be turned around, and the scandal of widespread poverty in a rich Continent eradicated, if all who are concerned about social rights and a more equal society can win the public debate and support the voice of those most affected to demand justice. This is the challenge for the years ahead. All of us need to organise to take it on. Joe Gallagher, Chairperson and Robin Hanan, Coordinator 4 At the Famine Memorial, Dublin, for World day for the elimination of poverty, 17 October 2004

5 Activities in Work Area 1 Empowering antipoverty groups in Ireland to understand and influence EU policy Information EAPN Ireland aims to keep members informed and up-to-date on policy and other developments relevant to the fight against poverty, with publications in clear and readable forms. EAPN Ireland Flash is sent every fortnight to over 2,000 addresses, mostly by , although we have a policy of posting copies to members who do not have . The Flash, produced in Brussels is re-edited in Ireland, with Irish news and angles. Special briefings are added by the Dublin office roughly monthly. In , these dealt with: The outcome of the Convention on the future of Europe Understanding the Irish Presidency of the European Union Issues in the National Forum on Europe Issues and events under the Irish Presidency of the EU The Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty The EU Employment Strategy and the Irish NAP Employment The Lisbon Strategy mid-term review The Ministerial Council on Making Work Pay Issues in the European Parliament elections The citizenship referendum The European Parliament election results. The text for an EU Constitution agreed by the IGC The new Committees of the European Parliament Two issues of EAPN Ireland Review were produced, with special features on the Irish Presidency of the EU and the European Parliament elections. EAPN Ireland also distributed EAPN (Europe) Network News in Ireland every two months, with a mailing list of 600. Specialist mailing lists on NAP Inclusion, Employment, Structural Funds etc. were maintained for groups who wanted to receive more detailed documentation on these. A considerable amount of work went into building up mailing lists for and postal publications. As well as members, we carefully targeted politicians, officials, journalists, libraries, multipliers like the info-points Europe etc. 5

6 Training The Network organises training sessions for anti-poverty groups on understanding and influencing EU policy. Where possible, these are organised in conjunction with local host groups. In , the main emphasis was on poverty issues and the Irish EU Presidency and, later, the European Parliament elections. Training and discussion sessions were organised at the request of local host groups in Galway (twice), Cork, Ballymun, Listowel, Athlone, Letterkenny, Limerick, Coolock and Kilrush (total, 163 participants). In addition, EAPN Ireland ran workshops at seminars organised by the Older Women s Network (in Cavan), South Inner City Community Development Association (in Dublin), Community Workers Co-op (in Galway) and the Community Platform (Dublin, Galway, Cork) (total, 155 participants). The PowerPoint presentations and the 12-page book of handouts was adapted for each session. Evaluation feedback was very positive. Media EAPN Ireland positions on a range of topics were carried in the national media. Briefing and educational features were produced for a range of specialist newsletters and mailings, including articles in Community Workers Co-op publications, European Movement newsletter, Jesuit Justice Commission, Vincentian Partnership for Justice Newsletter and West Belfast Economic Forum Journal. In response to the launch of NAP Inclusion in August 2003, Brian Carty was interviewed on RTE Radio s Morning Ireland and the RTE Television News at One, as well as being quoted extensively in the Irish Times and Irish Examiner. A letter on Irish poverty levels, in the context of the EU Spring Council, 2004 was carried in the Irish Eaminer. In January 2004, EAPN Ireland hosted a press conference for EAPN Ireland and European Social Platform delegates to the Ministerial conference on Making Work Pay. Spokespeople for both networks were interviewed for the main RTE news and TG4, most local stations and in all of the national newspapers..in January, Robin Hanan was interviewed for a series of programmes on RTE TV on EU enlargement and in April he took part in RTE s Sunday Show with Garret Fitzgerald, to mark EU enlargement. Brian Carty took part in a two-hour discussion on NEAR FM on Enlargement (1 May). Our views on the 2004 Spring EU Council were well covered in national papers and CNBC Television. An EAPN article on poverty in Ireland was used as a special feature in the Reuters International coverage of the 2004 UN Human Development Report and was widely covered around the World. 6 Workshop time in Drogheda

7 Work Area 2 Working to influence EU and Irish policy Irish EU Presidency Much of the policy work of EAPN Ireland during this period focussed on the Irish Presidency of the Council of Ministers (January to June 2004). This may be the last Irish Presidency, if the changes in the proposed Constitution are accepted, and is the one occasion where Irish Ministers and officials are at the centre of all important EU decisions, chairing Council and working group meetings. The Irish Presidency coincided with a number of important developments, including the accession of ten new EU member states, the finalisation of the draft EU Constitution and the start of the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy for economic and social development. It also coincided with the European Parliament elections. In the lead-up to the Presidency, in late 2003, EAPN Ireland produced a number of written briefings for members on understanding the Presidency and the issues coming up. These were complemented by briefings and discussion groups for members and for allies in the Community Platform on engaging with the Presidency. We co-ordinated two planning groups, one on housing and accommodation and one employment (described below). In October 2003, we ran a joint conference with the Platform of European Social NGOs in Dublin, involving 70 people (20 from European NGO networks and 50 from Irish NGOs). This included a session on the Presidency (addressed by Minister Mary Coughlan), a session on the IGC (Chaired by Senator Maurice Hayes, Chairperson of the National Forum on Europe, with speakers from most Irish political parties) and workshops on the Presidency issues. During the Presidency, in the first half of 2004, the main thrust of our work was: Meetings for members and the anti-poverty groups generally to explain and discuss issues during the Presidency (outlined in the previous section) Liaison with officials and Ministers about the key issues coming up during the Presidency Media discussions on these issues Links with delegations from other EU countries visiting Ireland during the Presidency In February 2004, EAPN Ireland, An Taisce and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) hosted a joint European Social Platform/European Environment Bureau/European Trade Union Confederation conference on Investing in Sustainable Development, bringing together trade unions and NGOs from all over Europe and addressed by, among others, the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment. EAPN Ireland representatives also spoke at three Presidency conferences, on the Family, Communicating Europe and Mobility and Social Inclusion, as well as participating in a number of European NGO and Government conferences held in Ireland. 7

8 European Parliament In December 2003, EAPN Ireland representatives had a meeting with the coordinators (political group leaders) of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, who were visiting Ireland to discuss priorities for the Presidency and other issues of concern. In January, we met the Bureau of the PES (Socialist) Group and in March the MEPs from GUE/NGL(United European Left/Nordic Green Left) on their visits to Dublin. We contacted all Irish political parties early in the year with ideas for their election manifestos. Most parties included some points from our briefings, and acknowledged that they had an impact on their thinking on poverty in the EU. The Review included a summary of manifestos, and all parties supplied a piece for the Flash. Lisbon Strategy The start of the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy sent out worrying signals on the direction of the EU. This strategy, agreed in 2000, was built on a balance between three pillars - sustainable growth, more and better jobs and social inclusion. There is an increasing tendency to re-define the Strategy as being solely a vehicle for a narrow version of competitiveness and this was a point of issue throughout the Irish Presidency, particularly with the appointment of a High Level Group to prepare the mid-term review of the strategy without any expertise on social inclusion. At the National Forum on Europe, we participated in key debates on this strategy with the Tánaiste (on services of general interest ) and Taoiseach (on the Lisbon Strategy generally) We responded to an Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs report on the Lisbon Strategy. This Committee has agreed to a special hearing with EAPN Ireland on the social aspects of the Lisbon Strategy in the Autumn. The National Forum on Europe in session National Action Plan Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP Inclusion) In the first half of 2003, the main priority of the network had been to support antipoverty groups in engaging with the Second Irish NAP Inclusion, which was submitted to the European Commission in August In the period covered by this report, the emphasis has been on analysing and responding to the Plan, contributing to the Joint Inclusion Report (JIR), which analyses the Plans separately and collectively, and promoting discussion on how to strengthen the plans into the future. In August 2003, EAPN Ireland co-ordinated a response by the Community Platform to the NAP Inclusion. In October 2003, we were represented at the Government/Commission bilateral meeting on the JIR. There was a considerable interest in the sector in this plan, with 36 organisations inputting to our final response alone. Robin Hanan presented a briefing for the staff of Combat Poverty Agency on the JIR and our views were also taken up by the media. Robin Hanan continued to chair the European network s Review Group on Social Inclusion. In this capacity, he contributed to the Italian Presidency Round Table on the Social Inclusion 8

9 Strategy in October 2003, and made presentations to seminars involving EAPN National Networks and their governments in Bulgaria (January 2004), Italy (February 2004) and Malta (May 2004). Other presentations included two in Belfast (NICVA conference on EU enlargement, May 2004 and the North/South (Departmental) Social Welfare Summer School, August 2004). In May 2004, EAPN Ireland hosted a European seminar on the EU Social Inclusion Strategy and the NAPs Inclusion in the European Foundation, Loughlinstown, Dublin. This was attended by 20 participants each from the EAPN (Europe) Review Group (one per country) and members of EAPN Ireland. Papers were presented on the strategy to date, the possible role of an Observatory on Social Inclusion and on the future of the strategy in the context of streamlining social inclusion and social protection strategies. There were responses from representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Irish Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Social Protection Committee (SPC). The conclusions of the conference were brought to the SPC meeting the next day and have been published for the 2004 EU round Table on the NAPs Inclusion. In a broad way, it is felt that the Strategy and the Plans has been very useful in developing strategies and exchanging ideas on poverty and social exclusion in EU member states, but the overall trend of Governments economic policy is leading to greater divisions and deepening poverty. Kerry Lawless in action Structural Funds The Mid-Term Review of the European Structural Funds in 2003 provided an important opportunity for anti-poverty groups to look at the priorities and effectiveness of the funds, and in particular the Irish National Development plan (NDP) and key Community Initiatives such as EQUAL and PEACE. EAPN Ireland, in partnership with the Community Workers Co-operative, supported community and voluntary sector representatives on structural funds monitoring committees and promoted engagement with the mid-term review. The views gathered in a series of regional focus groups facilitated by Kerry Lawless in Galway, Letterkenny, Cork and Dublin were discussed by members with each of the consultants engaged to review different parts of the NDP and Structural Funds. These have been edited into a report called NDP - No Discernible Progress which was published in early The main conclusion is that the overarching objective relating to social inclusion has not been implemented in most of the Operational Programmes. There has been on-going contact with officials in the CSF Unit of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. EAPN Ireland did not have a full member on the EAPN (Europe) Task Force on Structural Funds, but Sharon Keane, Community Workers Co-op, acted as the corresponding member. 9

10 Employment Strategy EAPN Ireland convened a small working group (with INOU - Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, Dublin Employment Pact and Pavee Point) to promote a social inclusion perspective in the European Employment Strategy and the Irish National Employment Action Plan (NEAP). EAPN Ireland worked with INOU in preparing the Community Platform submission to the 2004 Plan and a response to the published plan. This involved broad consultation in the sector, with special briefing papers, consultation papers and news updates, before the full consultation, coordination, drafting and editing could take place. Philip O Connor (Dublin Employment Pact) was the EAPN Ireland representative on the EAPN (Europe) Task Force on Employment. This group coordinated analyses of the revised EU Employment Strategy and the annual National Action Plans (NAPs Employment/ NEAP) and lobbying to increase their focus on social inclusion. This included a number of publications, press work and an international seminar in Porto, Portugal. Future of Europe Since 2002, EAPN Ireland has been a member of the Observer Pillar of the Irish National Forum on Europe, which brings together political parties and civil society groups to discuss issues in the future of Europe, especially Treaty/Constitutional issues. The Network uses this as an opportunity to dialogue with politicians and to link anti-poverty groups to European debates. In Summer 2003, the Convention on the Future of Europe produced its final report and passed the task of finalizing a proposed EU constitution over to an Inter- Governmental Conference (IGC) under the Italian Presidency (July to December 2003) and the Irish Presidency (January to July 2004). The draft produced by the Convention included: "combating social exclusion (though not eradicating poverty ) as an Objective of the Union and incorporated the Charter of Fundamental (social, economic, cultural and civil) Rights into the Constitution itself. The main weakness was that Section 3 of the draft, which deals with how to implement EU policies, had not been discussed in the Convention and did not include policy mechanisms to implement the commitment to combat social exclusion. On the proposal of EAPN Ireland, the Irish Government tabled an amendment to Section 3 to stipulate that all policies must take account of the need to combat social exclusion. This was included in the final draft Constitution, which will go to referendum in Ireland, and many other EU countries, in the next two years. Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche TD launches the Presidency bus 10

11 Work Area 3 Building the Network in Ireland and Europe Membership Membership of EAPN Ireland is open to groups which are non-governmental and whose main focus is fighting poverty and inequality. Other organisations which share the EAPN s aims and individual supporters may join as associate members. In , paid-up membership rose to a record 150 organisations and our total mailing lists for regular publications were over 2,000. Members include national and local groups representing or working with, for example, the unemployed, refugees and asylum seekers, Travellers, disabled people, communities in disadvantaged rural and urban areas, lone parents, older people, ex-prisoners and others at risk of poverty. In , a survey of members was carried out to collect ideas on the network and a to contribute to thinking towards a new strategic plan from Networking across Europe EAPN Ireland links to the work of the European network through an active participation in its Executive Committee, Task Forces, General Assembly and seminars. Patrick Burke represents the Irish Network on the European Executive Committee (ExCo) and has been active in the new strategic group on gender policy. He gave two presentations (2003 and 2004) to conferences in Hungary in support of the new Hungarian Anti Poverty Network. Brian Carty continues to co-chair the Network Development Group of EAPN (Europe) which concentrated in on enlargement, developing a new EAPN policy migration and ethnicity, and on promoting the participation of people experiencing poverty. EAPN Ireland supported the Irish delegates to the third European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty (Liz King, Tallaght Centre for the Unemployed; Clara In Son Keay and Sancha Magat, Migrants Rights Centre of Ireland; Maria Creighton and Joan Courtney, One Parent Exchange & Network). Margaret Deaton provided support to the Irish delegation and Robin Hanan chaired one of the workshops. The meeting was hosted in Brussels by the Irish Government with the organizational support of EAPN (Europe). The meeting included a presentation by Maria Creighton and Robin Hanan on the work of the Irish National Anti Poverty Networks Programme, and OPEN in particular. Mamar Merzouk took part in the EAPN (Europe) advanced training on EU lobbing in Brussels in December 2003 and Kay Lynch and Karen Kiernan took part in the initial training in Spain in May 2004 We were also represented at a conference run by ATD 4 th World in Warsaw on the voice of people in poverty in Europe. Brian Carty represented EAPN Ireland at the European Social Forum (Paris, November 2003) and we maintain contact with the Irish Social Forum. 11

12 Networking in Ireland In Ireland, the Network is committed to working in partnership with other organisations with similar aims, particularly the Community Platform (which brings together 26 national organisations committed to the fight against poverty and inequality) and with other National Anti Poverty Networks. Brian Carty provided support to Platform members in contacting political parties in the Dail and in the media response to the 2004 Budge. We also supported the Equality Coalition and the Rent Supplement Campaign. EAPN Ireland supports the 17th October Committee, led by ATD 4th World, which plans and promotes the annual Irish commemorations of the World Day for the Eradication of Poverty at the Famine Memorial in Dublin. Robin Hanan served a s a member of the Board of Pobal Community Development Agency and Brian Carty on the National Executive Committee of the INOU. In 2003, Robin Hanan presented a paper on the community sector in Ireland to a meeting of NGOs and politicians under the heading Dialogue for Democracy facilitated by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice. Bulgaria-Ireland Partnership The Network is a partner in a project led by the Bulgarian Anti-Poverty Network (BAPN) to engage with the Bulgarian NAP Inclusion. We were pleased when BAPN joined the EAPN as a full member at the EAPN General Assembly in November In January 2004, Joe Gallagher and Robin Hanan presented four papers to a conference organized by BAPN and the Bulgarian Government on Irish experiences of measuring poverty, poverty proofing and training and on the work of the Combat Poverty Agency Resourcing EAPN Ireland is one of the ten National Anti Poverty Networks funded by the Combat Poverty Agency until the end of 2003, and subsequently by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as part of the National Anti Poverty Networks Programme. This provides the core funding to employ staff, maintain an office and carry out most of our activities. This Programme was cited as the main example of good practice in promoting participation by the Joint Inclusion Report agreed by the Heads of Government at the Spring 2004 European Council. Management EAPN Ireland is controlled by its Annual General Meetings, which elects a Board of Management. The 2003 AGM had a special focus on preparing for the Irish EU Presidency. In July 2004, the Board had a training session to develop our equality policy and, in July 2004 we and a residential think-in on a new strategic plan, facilitated by Eileen Kavanagh. The Officers, Board members and staff are listed on page At the Famine Memorial, Dublin, for World day for the elimination of poverty, 17 October 2004