VTOS Cuts Protest - Photos

by Gadgeteer Wed Sep 24, 2003 21:17

VTOS Cuts Protest
Dept. of Education, Marlborough St.
3.00-4.00pm
Wed 24 Sept 2003

by Gadgeteer Wed Sep 24, 2003 21:18

VTOS Cuts Protest
Dept. of Education, Marlborough St.
3.00-4.00pm
Wed 24 Sept 2003

by G! Wed Sep 24, 2003 21:38

Press Release given out by TUI Reps at the protest. – 24/09/03

Dublin City Post Primary Branch of Teachers Union of Ireland are protesting for a second time outside of the Dept. of Education, Marlborough Street, Wed 24th of September, against cuts in childcare for students on VTOS, Youthreach and Senior Traveller workshop programs.

• Many students will have to leave their courses in the next due to lack of child-care support

• These cuts were unexpected and the VEC’s were left without enough money to meet their commitments for this year

• The government have signed up to commitments under the Lisbon Process in 2000 to increase childcare places and in their own report have identified lack of childcare to be a barrier to equality ESPECIALLY TO SINGLE MOTHERS AND LOW INCOME FAMILES – This was before they decided to make these cuts

• The people affected by these cuts have no voice – Many are not yet students, they are isolated and dispersed

• These cuts are sexist and hit our most vulnerable students

• These cuts hit two generations at the same time

THESE CUTS TARGET DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

John Farrell – Branch Chair – 087 283 19 64
Marie Humphries – Area Rep – 086 606 45 95

by Sinn Féin Thu Sep 25, 2003 13:31

Minister's Response to Crowe on VTOS 'Completely Inadequate'


Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Education Seán Crowe TD has described the response he received from the Minister for Education and Science to a letter about the cutbacks in childcare support for people on VTOS schemes as ‘completely inadequate’. Referring to the large turnout at a protest against the cuts he attended outside the Department yesterday, Deputy Crowe went on to say the Government was unaware of the fury in working class communities about these latest cuts.

The Dublin South West TD said: "The Minister’s response is just completely inadequate. He admits to a 37% cut in funding for VTOS childcare supports, claiming that the Government had just been lucky in being able to fund it since 1998. For four years the Department was ‘fortuitously’ able to meet the total costs of childcare and now, he claims, his money and his luck has run out.

"The only ray of hope he is willing to offer is that is examining the possibility of providing special assistance to VECs that are particularly badly affected. This vague promise is not nearly enough for the men and women who protested outside the Department yesterday to give the Minister an idea of the deep anger within working class communities at the betrayal of parents attempting to get a good education and build a future for their children.

"The Minister must restore childcare support for VTOS participants, and not just in some of the hardest hits VECs but right across the board. It would be extremely unfair if people in one VEC were able to get support and people in another denied it as the Minister seems to be implying might be the way forward." ENDS