Almost two-fifths (37%) of the research participants report that they have curtailed their advocacy, campaigning or communications efforts for fear of impacting their funding. This rises to almost half (48%) amongst organisations working in homelessness and addiction, which are particularly likely to be involved in frontline service delivery and therefore to be in receipt of State funding.

Civil society forms a critical part of the democratic and service delivery landscape in Ireland and the voices of community and voluntary organisations are central to the policy-making process. The rights of public participation, freedom of association and freedom of expression, all of which are enshrined in Ireland’s Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) also apply to the sector and are fundamental for democracy.

The report, titled "That’s Not Your Role”: State Funding and Advocacy in the Irish Community, Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector, also examined civil society’s perception of the effectiveness of the State’s stakeholder engagements for policy formation. More than two-thirds (70%) of participants reported missing out on an engagement process because they found out about it too late. More than one-third (35%) of all respondents reported that the issues they raised were rarely or never taken on board in stakeholder engagements.