Letters Section
Issue 23 one question South West Donegal Communities Partnership Ltd, Unit 8, The Carpet Factory, Killybegs, Co. Donegal . Good day, Your article on the back cover of Issue 23 details funding approval of €575,000 to projects under the Community Development Programme for the recruitment of additional workers to 27 CDPs. Can I ask if when you say 'additional' workers - do you mean in addition to the two which are funded by the Programme as standard - (which is one and a half full time workers in year one to be increased to two full time workers in year two) or is it simply referring to the projects increasing to two workers in the second year of the project? It would be great to know that there has been a move to enable CDPs recruit a third staff member to enable them deliver on their workplans. I would be very grateful if you could clarify that for us . . . Kind regards, Margaret Doherty Editor’s Note: The additional project workers are going to projects that employed less than 2 workers and the Department have confirmed that there has been no change in policy to enable CDPs recruit a third staff member through the Programme’s fund.
Registering disappointment Laccamor, Barntick, Ballynacally, Ennis, Co. Clare 15 Dec. ‘07 Dear Editor, I write in relation to the most recent edition of ‘Changing Ireland’. It is very welcome that the issue was dedicated to the issue of Domestic Violence. However, I wish to register my disappointment that during the 16 Days of Action Opposing Violence Against Women the issue of violence against men was such a prominent part of the magazine. I am well aware of the problem of domestic violence against men. However, I question the claim in the editorial that “There are possibly as many male victims as female, or perhaps more male victims.” The interview with Women’s Aid on page 17 appeared to me to be very antagonistic towards an organisation which has carried out so much excellent work on behalf of the many female victims. It is fair to challenge any organisation with regard to their service provision, however, if this was to be the tone of the interviews why were Amen not asked why they are not providing services to the female perpetrators? Domestic Violence against women is a complex issue related to power and control which frequently but not always, manifests
itself in physical abuse. It is not the same as abuse which happens between mutually combative couples. Neither is the same dynamic at play when the victim is male and the perpetrator female. Treating these as a homogenous group will not serve male or female victims well as the response needed by each group are very different. Yours Sincerely, Liz Price Editor’s Note: The full sentence referred to in the editorial (which can be read at www.changingireland.ie/Issue23.pdf) reads: “There are possibly as many male victims as female, or perhaps more male victims, depending on what study you read.” The fact is that some studies have claimed that men may suffer as much emotional abuse as women. One such study was by the National Crime Council in Ireland. On the suggestion that Amen should be asked why they are not providing services to female perpetrators, we put the question to them. Amen spokesperson, Frank McGlynn, replied as follows: “We’re stretched to the limit as it is. I’m not too sure we would be the right organisation to run a programme for female perpetrators, because we deal with male victims and I don’t know how appropriate it would be for us to also deal with female perpetrators.” He added that “sometimes” female perpetrators contact Amen and he said it was unfortunate there was nowhere to refer them to.
Development workers graduate from UCC TWO CDP workers, Thomas McDonagh and James Maughan graduated recently from University College Cork with a Diploma in Youth and Community. Pictured (left) after the graduation are: Thomas, who works with Tullamore Traveller Movement, in Co. Offaly, Breda Lymer, one of the tutors on the programme and director of West Training & Development, and James Maughan, Parkside Community Development Project,
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Ballina, Co. Mayo. keeping a prisoner in prison costs more than a ministerial salary