Immediate release:
NON-PROFITS CALL FOR FORMAL PROCESS
OF ENGAGEMENT ON PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM
Conference explores proposals for cost-effective
and personalised public services
Dublin, 7 July - Non-profit organisations could play a key role in developing more cost-effective and person- centred public services, a conference at Dublin Castle was told today.
The conference, which was attended by over 100 charities, was organised by The Wheel, the national representative body for community, voluntary and charitable organisations, to discuss the role that non-profit organisations can play in reforming public services, and to move the reform debate “beyond the Croke Park Agreement”.
Speaking at the event Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive of The Wheel, said: “Charitable and voluntary groups want to contribute more to improving the lives of people by participating in transforming our health and social services. These organisations are innovators that involve service-users in designing and delivering flexible, value-for-money, and person-centred outcomes. We ask Government to commit to a formal process of engagement with the community and voluntary sector to reform our public services to put the service-user at the heart of public services and to get the maximum value for money from scarce public funds.”
Ms. Garvey noted that in 2009 alone the HSE paid over €3 Billion to non-profit organisations to provide health and social services. “Ireland’s 7,900 charities and voluntary groups deliver essential public services for children, older people and people with intellectual and physical disabilities, but to date they have not been involved in the debate on public services reform,” said Ms. Garvey.
The conference also included contributions from Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State for Public Services Reform, well known change-management expert Eddie Molloy, health policy expert Dr Fergus O’Ferrall (Adelaide Lecturer in Health Policy at TCD), social policy expert Sean Healy (Social Justice Ireland) and Edwin Lau, the leader of the team that prepared the OECD Public Management Review - Ireland (2008).
The conference explored:
- How we can fund and deliver the quality public services we need
- The challenges and solutions in putting the person at the heart of tailored public services
- Roles that charity/community/voluntary organisations can play in the reformed process of designing and delivering person-centred public services.
NOTES FOR EDITOR:
Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive of The Wheel is available for interview. Contact Gert Ackermann on Tel: 086 176 9287, (01) 454 8727 or email gert@wheel.ie.
The Wheel is the national representative and support body for community, voluntary and charitable organisations. It provides a wide range of information and support services, advice and training to individuals and organisations involved in community and voluntary activity. It is also a representative organisation promoting both its members’ and the wider sector’s interests. The Wheel is registered charity (no. CHY 13288) and a company limited by guarantee. www.wheel.ie.
Follow the conference on Twitter: #rpscon11
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