Ms Deirdre McCarthy:

The community development programme was established to provide core funding to develop other services around it. For many of our organisations, this funding is the core and other funding is attached to it. Without this funding, the rest will also collapse. For example, child care services might be provided through a different service provision, but it is managed and resourced under this programme. Therefore, the knock-on effect will extend beyond the programme. Some of these organisations have been in existence for many years. A long history of expertise and community is embedded in them.