Youth Media & the Irish Presidency: Vulnerable Families – What can Europe do?

Closing Plenary, Vulnerable Families Conference.
Photo: Órla Ryan

A CONFERENCE jointly organised by the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE) and the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA).

Location: Dublin City Hall

Date: 5 February

Day 2 Summary

"I'm the world's biggest loser: I lost my place in the workforce; my friends; my social life; my pension rights; €12 of my carer's allowance - take any more and I'll lose my mind."

These were the last words the audience heard from the Head of Living Conditions at Eurofound during the Closing Plenary of the conference. By sharing this quote from an Irish carer, Richard Anderson also shared an insight into how difficult a carer's life can be.

"Research in Europe points consistently to carers of dependent children, adults or elderly relatives as particularly at risk of low income, of lack of information, of illness, isolation and basically invisibility for policy and practitioners, and these are the essential problems to which we need to respond and ask what contribution the European agenda can bring.

" . . . Many carers today are exposed to poverty and exclusion because they are not able to reconcile their care responsibilities with employment, and the alternative to employment is social benefits and public assistance which, as we all know across member states, are being challenged by austerity measures," Mr Anderson stated.

He spoke of the need to ensure the dignity of both those who require care and the carers themselves, adding that the EU has a responsibility to recognise carers in terms of legislation and support.

Carers were just one of a number of vulnerable groups discussed at the event.

The initial section of Day 2 was split into four breakout forums:

- Vulnerability due to ill health, mental health issues, disability, care;

- Extreme vulnerability - families outside of the reach of services;

- Vulnerability due to joblessness and lack of skills;

- Parenting support services.

These sessions included speakers from several Irish and European bodies including One Family (Ireland), Väestöliitto (the Family Federation, Finland) and SOS Children's Villages International (Austria).

"Extreme vulnerability stems from non-recognition, lack of visibility and stigma"

- William Lay (former director of COFACE), Chair of Extreme Vulnerability Talk

This session centred on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender families; migrant families and women (both documented and undocumented); Roma families and those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Moninne Griffith, Director of Marriage Equality, gave a presentation on the vulnerability of LGBT families in Ireland.

"The Irish Constitution only recognises families based on marriage, so all the various diverse families that exist - be they of foster families, carers, families with different relatives caring for children - unfortunately don't fit that description and therefore are outside the scope of  protection and are exposed to extra vulnerability, and that includes LGBT families," Ms Griffith asserted.

She said the Civil Partnership legislation that was introduced here in 2011 "ignored the fact that many same sex couples have children" and "created a legal vacuum for these families". Marriage Equality's 'Missing Pieces' report highlights 160 statutory differences between civil partnership and marriage.

"Irish laws and public policy have not kept up with the changing reality of Irish families and largely ignore the children being raised by a parent or parents who are LGBT," Ms Griffith added. 

Discrimination and the failure of health services to recognise the statuses of such families were listed as other areas of particular concern in this regard.

In terms of migrant families and women, Elvira Mendez of Salud y Familia (Health and Family, Spain) stated that "second chances are crucial" when people seek help.

This sentiment was echoed by Ruth Owen of Feantsa (the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless). The group's 2012 Report 'On the Way Home?' analysed the main trends regarding homelessness in 21 countries over the past five years. Ireland was one of a number of member states that noted an increase in homelessness in three key demographics: youth, immigrants and women.

In the post-presentation discussion, Gráinne Healy, Chairperson of Marriage Equality and former Chair of the National Women's Council of Ireland, noted the intersectionality between the vulnerable groups in question and spoke of the moral imperative of protecting adults and children alike.

The current situation in the EU, and indeed beyond, was succinctly summarised by the President of COFACE, Annemie Drieskens, at the close of the conference: "Even with our best intentions and political will, so far we have failed to prevent further impoverishment." She listed growing inequality and youth unemployment as illustrations of this and described the latter as  a "ticking time bomb for societal change never seen before".

Should this bomb detonate, it will no doubt be the most vulnerable that will once again bear the brunt of the catastrophic consequences. As a union, we must act at every level - from grassroots to policy making - to ensure it is our services and support systems for such families, not this explosive device, that remain viable.


This article also appears on the European Movement Ireland website.