NATIONAL BLUEPRINT FOR STRENGTHENING SOCIAL ECONOMY SECTOR LAUNCHED IN CLONES

A new report seeking Government action to strengthen supports for the increasingly important societal role being played by community organisations, charities and other nonprofit enterprises received its national launch by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys at the Canal Stores building in Clones on Monday morning. The report – Unlocking The Social Economy, Supporting Social Enterprise – has been produced by The Wheel, the national association of charities, community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises.

As well as charting the growth of the social economy in Ireland – a process apparently accelerated rather than retarded by the Covid- 19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions – and placing its development in a national and European context, the report makes some timely pre-Budget recommendations to the Government. “We call on the Government to create the conditions for social economy organisations to operate and to be treated equally,” stated The Wheel CEO Deirdre Garvey, who MCed the launch. “We are also asking the Government to introduce support measures to enable access to information, finance, markets, technology, infrastructure, and well-regulated and socially responsible public procurement, especially…