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In his speech to the 2018 Macra na Feirme AGM, national president James Healy called on the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, to provide additional funding for the youth work sector to support it in meeting new governance requirements.
Macra has gone from an unincorporated association to a company limited by guarantee.
“New challenges need new money. However, we cannot depend on outside sources to fund our organisation, and our members have shown huge commitment to Marca by taking part in our national fundraisers over the last two years, but I do not see this as a sustainable financial model going forward,” Healy said.
He added that it is unfair for members to have to continuously fundraise to keep the organisation running.
The decision made at the AGM to raise affiliation fees by €5 is “the fairest way to have all members play their part in funding our organisation”, hes said.
National council
The Macra AGM saw 17 seats on the organisation’s national council change hands. John Keane, the new national council representative (NCR) for North Tipperary, was elected to the position of agricultural affairs chair, replacing Laois dairy farmer James Barber.
Meanwhile, Cavan dairy farmer Thomas Duffy was elected as national chair, replacing Meath man Eamon Cassells.
Financials
Outside of elections, Macra reported a surplus of just over €15,000 on its income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2017. Total income for the year was just over €1.82m. This is largely made up of a €454,194 grant from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, just over €247,000 from milk levies and €172,639 in membership fees.
Income for 2017 was up €201,000 on the previous year, due to an increase in milk levy funding, Department of Agriculture funding for the land mobility programme and increased Skillnet training activity.
However, expenditure also increased, the largest jump was in wages and salaries which rose by almost €100,000 to €887,220.
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