Politics

NGOs must ‘listen hard’ to those they represent after crushing defeat of care referendum they backed

Leading voices from the No campaign call for a new approach from advocacy groups that appear out of step with the people they represent

Equality Not Care, campaigners Ann Marie Flannagan, and Margaret Kennedy (front) with (from left) Niamh Driscoll, Marcia Duane and Michael O’Dowd at the official announcement of Care Referendum results at in Dublin Castle on Saturday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Kitty Holland
Fri Mar 15 2024 - 06:00

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are “needed now more than ever” but must “listen hard” to those they represent, leading voices of the No campaign in last week’s referendum on care have said.

NGOs advocating Yes-Yes votes faced criticism following the overwhelming rejection of the family and care referendums last week. There have been suggestions Oireachtas members will review their relationship with NGOs and that the Government may review their funding.

The Family Carers Ireland (FCI) organisation, which describes itself as “the national charity supporting the 500,000+ family and young carers across the country” has arguably faced the most vitriolic backlash.

Its position in favour of the proposed Article 42B, which said the State would recognise care “by members of a family to one another” rather than care in both the family and the community, and would “strive to support” such care, enraged many.

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FCI had to turn off comments on its social media posts in the run-up to the vote “to safeguard” carers “from personal abuse” including those “sharing their personal stories in support of a Yes-Yes vote”. Members repeatedly said they had not been consulted on the FCI stance in the referendums.

The organisation’s statement published on Sunday, saying it “respects the outcome” but adding: “we are disappointed that we did not manage to persuade people of the merits of the wording of Article 42B”, further incensed many.

“Read the room for goodness sake,” began one of the more than 200 negative comments under its Facebook post.

The Equality Not Care (ENC) group, founded to campaign against the care referendum, this week called for the “immediate resignation” of the “leadership” of FCI. Michael O’Dowd, a carer and member of ENC, said the FCI statement “felt like gaslighting and that they were relighting the referendum”.

[ Amid all the finger-pointing, it’d be unwise to overlook central thrust of referendum results ]

“I don’t believe the current leadership can repair the reputational damage and the hurt that has been caused,” he said. Softening his demand for resignations, he called for “new voices” at the top. “They need to change the way they do business.”

Asked if there was a future for FCI, he said: “There has to be. But the board has to look at themselves ... They are voluntary and there’s no doubting their commitment but they need to listen hard to carers and not assume they know best.”

Inclusion Ireland, which represents people with intellectual disabilities and their carers, did not campaign but stated it could not support Article 42B. It was “nowhere near strong enough”, its chief executive Dervla McDonagh said.

Describing the outcome as a “hollow victory”, she nonetheless sees opportunity in it. “Government underestimated the level of anger and determination among carers and disabled people. Yes, differences [between care and disability groups] have been highlighted but together we share more in common than we have different. The only way forward is to build solidarity with a firm focus on human rights.”

Rejecting calls for NGOs’ funding to be cut, she said: “There would be no disability rights movement without them. More than ever now we need NGOs, disabled people and carers working together in solidarity keeping a firm eye on the UNCRPD [The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities].”

Independent Senator Tom Clonan, who campaigned for a No vote, said it was “really important we take a breath here” in the aftermath of the vote. While he was “puzzled” by some NGOs’ supporting Article 42B, he said he “absolutely” believed in their “sincerity and good faith”.

[ Five reasons the Yes side failed and the No campaign won the day ]

“If I had advice for them it would be to be in a deep listening mode. There is a lot we can all learn and take from this,” said Mr Clonan. Citing Census 2022 data indicating 1,109,557 people (22 per cent of the population) reported at least one long-lasting condition or difficulty, he said the results underlined that disabled people’s rights were “not a niche or a minority issue”.

But the approach of “the main NGOs” for “an incremental realisation of rights... is not working”, he added. “What we need now is a really radical, rights-based, noisy approach to disabled rights in exactly same way that the LGBTQI community did it.”

[ Referendum profiles: the No campaign's key players and moments ]

Asked what role NGOs should have, Mr Clonan said: “We need them. NGOs need to talk to and listen to us and we to them. Defunding NGOs would be appalling and a victory for the wrong kind of people.”

Tomas Murphy (33), who has an intellectual disability and sits on the board of Inclusion Ireland, lives with his mother in Dublin but would like to move out. He said he voted No.

“The Government needs to listen to us about our rights and support our right to live independently,” he said. “We will keep fighting and the Government needs to listen to us.”

FCI was asked for a response to a series of questions. It said it would not be commenting at this time.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times

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