Over 450 job losses for the sector #CutsWatchNI

Cuts to the sector

NICVA is warning that at least 450 jobs are likely to be lost in the next few weeks from voluntary and community organisations right across Northern Ireland as government cuts are announced.

The austerity cuts being implemented by Ministers cover a huge range of community and voluntary groups including arts, environment, young people, justice and early years.

NICVA CE Seamus McAleavey said, “The scale of the cuts being faced and the resulting jobs losses is unprecedented in our sector’s relationship with government in Northern Ireland in the last 35 or more years.

“Skilled staff will be lost from our sector and the impact will be felt right across Northern Ireland with a loss of local walking routes, arts events and childcare facilities. Voluntary and community organisations provide highly specialized services in areas where government provision doesn’t meet the needs of local people and often work with harder to reach client groups.

“It is obvious that the most vulnerable people will be harder hit with programmes focusing on training and support to help people get jobs, develop crucial early learning skills in children and rehabilitation being cut.

"Decisions are being made unfairly across a number of departments and with no real consideration of the impact on services, or indeed discussion among Ministers. We believe the view of budget holders is that voluntary and community sector programmes are the easiest and quickest to cut regardless of their value.

"We further believe that some decisions are made recognising that they will ultimately rebound and cost government more in the long run as more expensive options in turn come into play."

NICVA has requested an emergency meeting with the First and deputy First Ministers to address the issue. 

Information collected by NICVA via our Cutswatch site indicates the current job losses are as follows: 

Early Years Fund

177

 

Environment

130

 

European Social Fund (DEL)

137

 

Other

17

 

TOTAL

461

 

 

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