Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If this had been published in a reasonable timeframe, not five months, the association would have had a couple of months to put itself in a position to avail of funding under budget 2018. This is immensely unfair to it because it was not given any time whatsoever. This was published after the budget and the association was given no opportunity. I think every member here is convinced that if the association had been given the opportunity and a reasonable timeframe, it would have complied with the Minister's Department's requirements and the requirements of this report, and it would have been able to avail of the funding it needs in 2018.

I ask the Minister to intervene because the association is left blowing in the wind due to a delay by the Minister's Department in publishing the report. The association needs a significant Government commitment on paper for it to draw down the other international funding to survive moving forward. The association is on very thin ice through no fault of its own and despite everything it has done. The Minister should own this and his Department should have published the report long ago, not after the budget, five months after receiving it.