“It has to stop here,” was the response of one Westmeath councillor to news that community grant funding is to be cut again this year.
A 25 per cent cut in community grants over two years is too much to bear, said Kinnegad councillor Denis Leonard, who nonetheless voted in favour of the 2012 budget proposals at this week’s Westmeath County Council meeting.
He says it’s counterproductive to slash the budget for community grants from €200,000 to €150,000.
“An awful lot of work that would have to carried out by the local authority is done on their behalf by hundreds of volunteers around the county and this is the only funding they get,” said Mr Leonard.
“I’d be very concerned if that was eroded in any shape or form. A 25 per cent cut in two years represents something that has to stop here,” he added.
The grants enable Tidy Towns, sporting, and other community organisations to function and enables them to purchase materials.
Cuts in funding mean groups will have to fundraise more locally but Mr Leonard said this is highly problematic.
“People don’t have the same disposable income they had a few years ago to help voluntary organizations through fundraising,” he said, but pointed out that central Government has to give the local authority adequate funding and recognise volunteers.
If these projects weren’t being done by thousands and thousands of volunteers, the council would have a greater burden in terms of financial and manpower resources, he said.
He added that volunteers have never been so important and acknowledged the comments made by his colleague Frank McDermott, who said the grants are the only acknowledgement of the work done by volunteers.
It’s understood that if there are any extra funds to the council, or if Government cuts turn out to be less than expected, the first area to see an increase will be the community development.
