The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of charities, has launched its pre-Budget 2026 submission, Thriving Communities in a Changing Ireland, with a clear call to Government: it is time to formally recognise the community and voluntary sector’s role in delivering frontline public services, by allocating sustainable funding and meaningful policy reform.
The pre-budget submission was launched at a briefing in Dublin for members and TDs on 13 June, where The Wheel urged the Government to increase funding across key departments and services in line with the sector’s growing responsibilities and the critical gaps it fills in public service provision. From responding to recent crises like Storm Éowyn, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic, to providing core health, housing, childcare and community supports, the sector continues to act as Ireland’s “hidden infrastructure”; agile, trusted, and indispensable.
The Wheel’s submission reflects extensive consultation with their 2,600+ member organisations, and it aligns with the Programme for Government’s ambition to create “thriving communities” while confronting urgent issues of inequality, climate resilience, and social cohesion.
Read more here: Budget 2026: The Wheel Calls for Sustainable Funding and Reform | The Wheel