The Foundations for Futures Europe final event Thinking about Europe is taking place in Maynooth University on Thursday October 20th. (registration on the day between 8.30am and 9.30am). This final conference will reflect on the work that EAPN Ireland, alongside European partners, including Maynooth University, has undertaken in the past year but will also create a space for thinking and discussion about Europe’s future. This unique consortium, which comprised of a combination of European universities and civil society organisations, has worked with students, citizens, and new arrivals. The project has engaged all levels of society, from institutions whose research helps to inform policy makers, to the very people living on the margins that these policies impact. As we enter into a winter of uncertainty, the need for solidarity has never been felt as keenly as it is now. Join us in conversations around the issues that impact us all.
Workshops on the day will include:
- Europe’s cost of living Crisis: Unpacking European Poverty Watch data
- Migration: Welcome to fortress Europe
- Populism, nationalism and Identity: European integration-coming together or drifting apart-spotlight on Serbia.
- The Future of Employment: Inclusive and Digital workplaces and spaces.
- Health and Wellbeing: Green and Blue Space, thinking outside the box
- The Climate Crisis: Finding an equitable way forward.
Admission: Free (places are limited)
Register now for this final event HERE
This project was funded with the support of the European Union under the programme “Europe for Citizens” under Grant Decision No. 625836
EAPN Ireland Budget 2023 Statement
Please find enclosed the EAPN Ireland statement on Budget 2023. We welcome the once-off cost of living measures that were annouced but are calling on the Goverment to committ to longterm sustainable initiatives that will address poverty and social exclusion, this includes benchmakring social welfare to adequacy as represented by the Minimum Essential Standard of Living.
Community Platform Launch:Towards A Progressive Model of Collaborative Governance
Towards A Progressive Model of Collaborative Governance: A Community Platform Discussion Paper was launched on Tuesday October 4th in the Mansion House in Dublin by Joe O’Brien, Minister of State for Community Development and Charities. The paper proposes a new model for strengthening how those most impacted and all sectors can work together more effectively to address a number of major long-term challenges our society faces such as housing, care, poverty and the climate transition. Towards A Progressive Model of Collaborative Governance has been developed by the Community Platform after a process of discussion and reflection on national and international experience. The Paper is available on the Platform website HERE.
CSO report on Child Deprivation
The CSO released a study this week on Child Deprivation. The analysis was based on the data from the 2021 Survey of Income and Living Conditions. You can read the report here.
Social Inclusion Forum- Final Report
The final report from the Social Inclusion Forum 2022 has been published by Minister Joe O Brien. This report summarises the core relevant points from the Social Inclusion Forum for 2022. The report will be sent to the Steering Committee who oversee the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, with relevant feedback sent to Goverment Departments. You can read the report here.
Members News
The 2022 report is the 16th annual update of the MESL expenditure needs data, updating the minimum expenditure needs and assessment of income adequacy to 2022. In previous years, the MESL update has often found minor fluctuations in prices, with increases in some budget areas being largely offset by decreases in others. This year is exceptional, instead showing that the increase in costs across most of the MESL budget areas have significantly outweighed any decreases experienced.Compared to 2021, the cost of a MESL has increased by an average of 5% for urban households and 14% for rural households. You can read the full report here.
EAPN Europe News
On 13 October, EAPN holds the launch of the Poverty Watch “In Unequal Times of Crises” in the European Parliament, facilitated by Shada Islam,and co-hosted by MEP Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL), and MEP Mounir Satouri, (Greens/EFA). The Poverty Watch is a bottom-up analysis of around 20 National Poverty Watches produced by our members that provides accurate evidence-based data on the state of play of poverty in Europe. During our event, which forms part of our activities for the 17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we will present our preliminary findings and EU-level recommendations. Further details, including registration, here.
EAPN Response to the 2022 State of the Union Address
On 14 September, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivered her speech on the State of the European Union in 2022. Concerningly, poverty, inequality and discrimination were not mentioned. We are also worried that The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) was not put forward as the main social policy delivering on the fight against poverty. EAPN issued a statement with our initial reaction. You can read the statement here.
EAPN – 20th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty
EAPN will host its 20th European People Experiencing Poverty Meeting on the 29th and 30th of November, in Brussels.The national delegations have discussed the most pressing issues for people experiencing poverty, and decided that this year’s topic will be the (very) high cost of living! Check out our Voices of Poverty page for updates on the meeting, the title, programme and speakers.You can read more here.
EU News
At the end of September the EU reccomedation on adequate minimum income was published. The EU Commission is calling on Member States to modernise their minimum income schemes as part of the ongoing pledge to reduce poverty and social exclusion in Europe. The proposed Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion sets out how Member States can modernise their minimum income schemes to make them more effective, lifting people out of poverty, while promoting the labour market integration of those who can work. EAPN Ireland believes that minimum income schemes (social welfare) must be bench marked against the cost of living in order to address poverty and inequality