Inclusion

Residents of Ireland’s offshore islands believe that the new national policy for island communities provides a good foundation to help address some of the challenges facing them.

An ambitious new ten-year national policy designed to support vibrant and sustainable island communities was launched by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys this morning.

A zero-tolerance approach to child poverty, a travel allowance to replace the travel pass, and employment quotas for marginalised communities were some of the suggestions that emerged from yesterday’s Social Inclusion Forum in Dublin.

A new in-depth report ‘Social Enterprises in Ireland: A Baseline Data Collection Exercise’ has provided vital insights into the sector in Ireland for the first time. The data collected shows that there are currently 4,335 social enterprises in Ireland employing 84,382 people – three per cent of the Irish workforce.

Damien Quinn recently returned to prison for a day as part of a group of people on an emerging leaders programme with the organisation Common Purpose Ireland. For the other visitors it was a totally new experience.

If you have ideas for a socially inclusive rural Ireland, this event is for you. Next Tuesday, November 15 (from 10.30-12.30) ideas are being sought during an online forum organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. It invites anyone who is “passionate about rural Ireland” to join the event to discuss key themes from 'Our Rural Future’.

NATIONAL policy is making rural poverty worse, according to a recent study on poverty and social exclusion in Co Clare.

Minister Joe O’Brien, as chair of the ‘Roadmap for Social Inclusion’, has issued a reminder that the deadline for submissions on the mid-term review of the strategy is fast approaching on October 7th.