Inclusion

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.

The 13th OECD Rural Development Conference, hosted by Ireland’s Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) has kicked off this morning in County Cavan. Overnight, a large team led by Department's Dr. Andrew Forde put the finishing touches to conference arrangements and delegates arrived to a momentous Céad Míle Fáilte this morning.

Cavan tonight began to welcome 400 people from as far away as Canada, Korea, Latvia and Columbia for an international gathering of rural development workers, policy makers, academics and ministers and their officials. They are in town to attend a major conference titled ‘Building Sustainable, Resilient and Thriving Rural Places’.

As Budget 2023 is moved forward to September 27, Changing Ireland examines some of the key proposals of groups working in the social inclusion and community sector.

Major reforms to Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) have been widely welcomed, with one public representative saying he had seen "grown men crying" when they had to leave schemes.