The Libertarian Angle: Uncompromising Libertarian Principles – Video

Posted on by


The Libertarian Angle: Uncompromising Libertarian Principles
FFF president Jacob Hornberger and FFF vice president Sheldon Richman discuss the hot topics of the day. This week: the case for an uncompromising, pure vision of libertarianism. The Libertarian...

By: The Future of Freedom Foundation

Read more from the original source:

The Libertarian Angle: Uncompromising Libertarian Principles - Video

Western off-shore islands fight loss of community funding

Posted on by

Ferry arriving at Sherkin Island. Photograph: David Sleator

Inhabitants of nine off-shore islands in the west are concerned at news that funding of their five community development companies will be stopped at the end of the year by the Department of the Environment.

The threatened community development offices deliver a wide range of supports and services on the non-Gaeltacht islands addressing disadvantage, social exclusion and isolation. They provide hubs of social and community activity on the islands.

Impacted islands are Inishbofin, Inishturk, Whiddy, Heir, Sherkin, Dursey, Bere, Long and Clare Island.

John Orpen, the vice chair of the West Cork Islands Community Council, said the end to funding will mean the collapse of a wide range of programmes, activities and initiatives.

Funding enables the Community Development Company offices to provide supports and services to all islanders. For example, the funding gives us the capacity to organise educational training courses, run programmes like childcare services, island waste management, island festivals, tourism projects; manage community buildings and provide representation for the islands.

Finbarr Harrington of the Cork County Community and Voluntary Forum says the viability of island communities depends on the work of development officers. We really need to ringfence this funding as a matter of urgency. All of the islands depend on tourism for their survival.

Tim OLeary from West Cork Islands says the community offices have become the heartbeat of the islands.

The islanders have come to rely on the offices to drive initiatives and programmes on their behalf. If the funding is pulled on December 31st, these services will go into terminal decline, resulting in a hugely negative impact on island life.

The five island community development companies are managed by voluntary committees who, through the community offices, employ staff to deliver a range of frontline services across the nine islands. The funding is to 600,000 a year.

Original post:

Western off-shore islands fight loss of community funding

Islanders warn of terminal decline as funds services axed

Posted on by

Communities on nine non-Gaeltacht islands have expressed concern at the news that the Department of the Environment, Community, and Local Government is to terminate funding to their five community development company offices from the end of next month.

The development offices deliver supports and services on the islands, addressing disadvantage, social exclusion, and isolation, and provide social and community activity.

The impacted islands are Inishbofin, Heir, Inisturk, Whiddy, Sherkin, Dursey, Bere, Long, and Clare Island.

John Orpen, vice-chair of the West Cork Islands Community Council, said the withdrawal of this funding will mean the collapse of a wide range of programmes, activities and initiatives on the islands.

Current funding enables the community development company offices to provide supports and services to all islanders, said Mr Orpen. For example, the funding gives us the capacity to organise educational training courses, run programmes like childcare services, island waste management, island festivals, tourism projects, manage community buildings, and provide representation for the islands.

Finbarr Harrington of the Cork County Community and Voluntary Forum says the viability of island communities depends on the work of development officers.

We really need to ring-fence this funding as a matter of urgency. All of the islands depend on tourism for their survival, said Mr Harrington.

Tim OLeary from the West Cork Islands says the offices have become the heartbeat of the islands.

The islanders have come to rely on the offices to drive initiatives and programmes on their behalf, he said. If the funding is pulled on December 31, these services will go into terminal decline, resulting in a hugely negative impact on island life.

The five island community development companies are managed by local voluntary committees, who through the community offices employ staff to deliver frontline services.

See the original post:

Islanders warn of terminal decline as funds services axed