Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of the questions I wanted to raise have already been answered. I will make a few general comments and maybe the witnesses can give me a sense of their thoughts on issues that have not been raised.

My first thought is an issue that I have raised at length with the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring. I refer to support for boards, voluntary bodies and voluntary people. I am happy to hear the witnesses say they are committed to ensuring there is more comprehensive training and support for volunteers. That is hugely important. Volunteers and all of those involved in different boards right across the country give huge service and time. They have to grapple with all sorts of form filling and trying to deal with a burden of responsibility as well. It is crucial that there is enhanced training and support, as required, for those groups.

Another relevant point I have noticed in the few years I have been in this new role is that the most organised groups are able to benefit most from funding. While that is important, we also need to look at groups that find it a little bit difficult. Not every village and town is going to have people very organised, committed to filling out the paperwork and committed then to getting back more questions that require more paperwork. I see it with regard to funding that has been approved. I am thinking of Roscommon and Galway.

I would like to see other areas getting a fair share, but I think the issue comes back to people within those communities being organised, ready to go and having projects that are ready to be submitted. That all fits under the community services programme etc. That is an important point, one that I have raised at length with the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring.

I have some experience of the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, in my area. We have two rural men's groups within County Roscommon. They are fantastic in terms of ticking the boxes for social inclusion. The groups are made up of older men, many of whom are living on their own. This is an important network and outlet for them on a weekly basis. However, I am currently of the understanding that these groups do not fit under SICAP. It goes back to the comments made by Mr. Leamy and Mr. Murphy. They said it is a question of looking at needs within different communities and at what social inclusion means in different communities. Certainly, in my view, social inclusion means providing funding and support for those groups. Those groups are still operating but they are being run on a shoestring. More individualised criteria specific to communities should fit under SICAP.

My third point has been stated several times. It relates to the challenge for the rural social scheme and the Tús scheme and the importance of these schemes for the people who are participating in the communities. There is a difficulty with people being taken off schemes and that is a major problem. We know extra places were allocated for the rural social scheme last year. That is great but in my area it has been difficult to recruit people. It is fine having extra places but it is a problem if we do not have people to fill them. It is obviously positive that we have more people back in employment. That is great. However, there is a gap. Deputy Canney stated clearly that there is a gap, especially with people in their late 50s or early 60s who may find it difficult to get employment elsewhere. That is certainly a point the Pobal representatives should take from today – I realise they are aware of it anyway.

I wish to comment on a more positive level about my recent experience with regard to the seniors alert scheme. The changes made are having a real impact in terms of the people being able to access alarms more easily. As the Pobal representatives have said, more support is being given to link people within different areas. That is important and perhaps it is a template Pobal can use for other programmes.

My final question is on the presentation made. I come from a rural area. The Pobal representatives indicated that, based on the 2016 deprivation index, small towns of between 1,000 and 5,000 residents have been worst affected during the past ten years. We know that. The Pobal representatives also attested to the need for further targeted initiatives in those areas. What future plans does Pobal have to try to target those continuing challenges in towns and villages?

I will go back to my first point. I think we need to take a fresh look at how we support communities that are not as well organised as others.