CHILDREN’S CHARITY THE ISPCC has that confirmed more than 55 percent of its staff take some form of unpaid leave to cut down on costs.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Caroline O’Sullivan Director of Services at the ISPCC said the charity has seen a “major impact” by the recession on donations from the public and corporate support of the last few years.

“At the moment we’re €500,000 behind where we want to be and we’re managing to provide what we can but we can forsee it being very difficult in the next year,” she said.

The ISPCC made nine staff members redundant last year and said all staff were subject to salary cuts in a bid to save on running costs.

“The level of work we’re doing has been reduced and there will be additional pressures over the next few years but we’ve come through recessions before,” she said.

This week, Barnardos closed offices and services in an attempt to cut down on costs. O’Sullivan said Barnardos’ decision to close for a week “brought attention to the plight of charities” and said the ISPCC has already seen an increase in the number of people registering for their next big event, the Cheerios Breakfast.

O’Sullivan called on people to keep donating and said “regardless of what they can give, we will use it and make best use of it”.

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