Over 450 Jobs To Go From Voluntary And Community Sectors - NICVA

NICVA, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, is warning that at least 450 jobs are likely to be lost in the next few weeks from voluntary and community organisations throughout Northern Ireland due to budget cuts.

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."

(CD)