It's not the law, but agencies and local and central government now have to pay more heed to relations with civil society

BY ALLEN MEAGHER

An overdue document was launched by Minister of State for Community Development, Joe O’Brien, with help from Ivan Cooper of The Wheel and Rachel Doyle of Community Work Ireland, on October 19th.

It was overdue in so much as it could be helpful for a couple living together for years, even if they sometimes drive each other bananas, to see what they actually agree on.

The seven-page document outlines an agreed set of values and principles to be used by central and local government, as well as state bodies, for collaboration and partnership when working with groups in the community and voluntary sector.

Developed by the sector, in partnership with Government, the aim is to support values such as social justice, and active participation along with principles like respect, collaboration and value for money.

From now on five values and six principles apply when local and national government is working with community groups.

It’s not law, so local authorities, agencies and government departments are not obliged to follow it, but the push is on for them to start signing up.

Remarking on the need for such a drive, Ivan Cooper pointed out that one in three people delivering public services in Ireland today work for a charity, a community group or a social enterprise. The sector, he reminded everyone, has an annual turnover of over €14 billion and employs 165,000 people. He described this as “startling” and was of the view that these figures still had not sunk in among those devising policy.

The agreed values are:

1. Social Justice.

2. Empowering Communities, Sustainable Development.

3. Active Participation.

4. Human Rights, Equality and AntiDiscrimination.

5. Social Inclusion.

The agreed principles are:

1. Respect.

2. Subsidiarity.

3. Harmonisation.

4. Value for Money.

5. Implementation.

6. Collaboration.

The launch took place in Outhouse Resource Centre in Capel Street, Dublin, an organisation supporting the LGBT+ community, their friends, families and allies.

The values and principles document relates to plans first outlined in an earlier policy document launched by the Government in 2019 called ‘Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities’.

Videos of the speeches by Mr Cooper, Ms Doyle and Minister O’Brien can be viewed on ‘Changing Ireland’s Youtube channel.