Dear Sir,
I find it profoundly objectionable to suggest that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wield more-so influence over the Government than their own constituents do. The insinuation that the current urgency to hold referendums is a result of pressure from the NGO sector couldn’t be more erroneous.
For a considerable length of time, NGOs have rightly challenged our government to tackle societal inequalities reflected in our constitution, which no longer accurately represents the evolvement of our society. Indeed, these NGOs desired for more time to scrutinise the terminology as proposed by the citizen’s assembly and the Oireachtas all-party committee, to ensure a more pertinent and significant proposition before presenting it to the public.
The scheduling of the referendums to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8th, has caught NGOs off guard. They chose to back a ‘Yes and Yes’ outcome, viewing it as an initial step in the right direction, despite acknowledging more efforts were still needed as there won’t be such an oppotunity to address these inequalities for quite some time.
As a seasoned leader in the NGO sector, I encourage those seeking to belittle our NGO’s efforts via the call for a reduction in their financial support to reconsider. Our government endorses NGOs recognising the immense value they deliver in providing services to marginalised individuals who are insufficiently supported by state bodies. Continual fundraising is required just to supplement the inadequate and annually rationed governmental grants. This pecuniary uncertainty impedes NGOs from appropriate planning and job security. The work NGOs do for the Irish people is remarkable, and they truly deserve our gratitude and assistance.
Yours faithfully,
ELLEN O’MALLEY DUNLOP,
(Visiting Professor,
University of Limerick Law School),
Templeogue, Dublin 6W.