 |
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.
