European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland – NewsFlash May 2023

Welcome to the EAPN Ireland NewsFlash for May 2023. Read on for the latest updates and information from EAPN Ireland, EAPN Europe, member organisations and partners, including news about the latest publications, upcoming events, workshops and meetings.
The EAPN Ireland Team

EAPN Ireland News

EAPN Ireland AGM 2023 & Workshop on ‘Building Solidarity for Ending Poverty in a Challenging Environment’

European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland members are invited to our Annual General Meeting and Workshop on Thursday 8th June 2023 from 11am to 1pm.

Non-members are invited to participate in the workshop, ‘Building solidarity for ending poverty in a challenging environment’. Further information will be shared soon.

This will be a hybrid event with the opportunity to attend in person in Carmichael House, 4 Brunswick Street North, Dublin, or online via Zoom. Members (for the AGM) and non-members (for the workshop only) can register by emailing: enquiries@eapn.ie.

EAPN Ireland Conference: Ireland’s Contribution to the EU’s Role in Tackling Poverty

Please join us for our conference, ‘Ireland’s contribution to the EU’s role in tackling poverty’. Together, we’ll explore how Ireland has contributed to the EU’s role in tackling poverty and the lessons learned for the future. We’ll also look at what benefits this has brought for how poverty has been tackled in Ireland. This interactive and participative event will feature exciting panellists (to be announced shortly) and World Café style discussions to stimulate dialogue and debate.

• DATE: Monday 29th May 2023
• TIME: 9:30AM – 1:00PM
• VENUE: Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission, Green Street, Dublin 7 (hybrid event, with option to attend in person or online)
• Registration: Register for this free event HERE.

This event is funded with assistance from the Communicating Europe Initiative and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

EAPN Ireland Briefing: Income & Poverty Data 2022

Read our latest Briefing on Income and Poverty Data. The data shows poverty and inequality levels increased between 2021 and 2022, and people are facing even greater challenges in making ends meet. This briefing breaks down the key data on income, poverty and inequality in Ireland, and the groups most impacted. It also outlines what the Government should do to effectively tackle the root causes of poverty.

Members News

The Vincentian MESL Research Centre, St Vincent de Paul
The Vincentian Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) Research Centre has published a new Working Paper, Estimating the MESL costs for families in Direct Provision. The paper outlines the findings of the first stage of a project to establish the MESL needs for families with children living within the Direct Provision system.

TASC – Think-tank for Action on Social Change
TASC offer Financial Resilience Training (FRT) to charity staff, which helps staff to support service users to improve their financial resilience, and to community groups to help increase their own financial resilience. FRT covers topics such as talking about money, budgeting and saving, managing debt, utility costs and support services.

• Financial Resilience Taster Sessions: To promote the training TASC will deliver a short taster session online for any organisations or individuals interested in learning more about the programme. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday 17 May: Register here.
• Financial Resilience Training CESCA Half Day Event: TASC will also host a half day event, in association with Cork Equal and Sustainable Communities Alliance, to promote the programme and bring together representatives of local charities for a discussion on how to incorporate the training material into their own services. This in person event will take place on Thursday 25 May. Register here.

One Family
One Family invite you to the online launch of a new research report on the lived experiences of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) recipients. The report will be launched by Senator Alice Mary Higgins on Thursday, 25 May at 12pm via Zoom.

The research was conducted by a joint research team from University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin in conjunction with One Family and set out to document the lived experiences of Jobseekers Transitional Payment (JST) recipients and to explore how JST is working ‘on the ground’.

For more information and to register click here.

National Women’s Council 
National Women’s Council (NWC) invite you to the event Human rights hearing: care and the equality referendum. This Human Rights Hearing will put central the experiences of marginalised women in Ireland. A panel of national and international experts will respond to what they hear with a view to informing constitutional change, influence policy and practice on care.

Date/Time: Tuesday 30th May, 10am to 2pm
Location: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Green Street, Dublin
Registration: free registration here

The event is jointly hosted by ActionAid Ireland and NWC and funded through a grant awarded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

EAPN Europe News

EAPN Europe is hiring a Communications Officer
Do you have a passion for communications work and for the fight against poverty and social exclusion? EAPN Europe is looking to work with an experienced and enthusiastic individual to support its communications work. The Communications Officer will support EAPN Europe’s communication strategy, including digital communication, newsletters, publications, website, social media channels and online engagement strategies. The closing date is Friday 26th May. Full details here.

EAPN Europe will participate at the Beyond Growth Conference 2023
The Beyond Growth 2023 Conference takes place from 15-17 May 2023. Kahina Rabahi, EAPN Europe Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, will speak on Focus Panel 4 – Unlocking a just and sustainable economy through Universal Basic Services. For full details of the conference and to register to join online click here.

EAPN Europe & EAPN Portugal: People’s Summit March 2023
EAPN Portugal and EAPN Europe hosted a People’s Summit in Porto, Portugal, in March 2023, bringing together people experiencing poverty, national members, political stakeholders and grass-roots organisations. A series of workshops and plenaries addressed the structural barriers and explored solutions for a meaningful European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Action Plan in the next European Commission mandate. For full information on the People’s Summit, including the conference report, an intervention from the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Olivier de Schutter, and key messages for the European Commission and EU Member States, click here.

Events:

Social Inclusion Forum (SIF) 2023
Registration is now open for SIF 2023.  The SIF is an annual national event hosted by the Department of Social Protection. It provides people affected by poverty and social exclusion, and community organisations representing them, the opportunity to come together with officials from relevant Government Departments and the Minister for Social Protection to discuss poverty and social inclusion policy and related issues of common concern. It also allows for discussion about the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion.

SIF 2023 is being held on Thursday 1 June 2023 at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. Those who are unable to attend in person can join the event online (subject to availability).

Book Launch: Creating an Eco Social Welfare Future
You are invited to the launch of Creating an Eco Social Welfare Future, by Mary P. Murphy. The book takes a uniquely hybrid approach to welfare state policy, ecological sustainability and social transformation, and explores transformative models of welfare change.

Date and time: Wednesday 17 May 2023, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Location: The Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2
Registration: Free registration here (the launch will be live streamed so if you cannot attend in person, virtual tickets are available)

The book will be launched by Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Caroline Conroy. The event will include a panel discussion with: Sinéad Mercier (Lecturer in Planning, Environmental Law and Policy; Consultant on Climate and Environmental Law and Policy); and John Bissett (Community Worker, Activist, writer, author of Regeneration: Public Good or Private Profit and It’s Not Where You Live, It’s How You Live). The panel discussion will be followed by a drinks reception and networking event.