Mr. Donal McCormack:

I am here to represent Community Gardens Ireland. First, to give some background, Community Gardens Ireland has been in existence since 2011 as a community of communities, that is, we are made up of more than 100 community gardens and allotment groups and associations throughout the island of Ireland. Our aim is voluntarily to support and promote community gardens and allotments in Ireland and Northern Ireland. During Covid, our social media outlets provided a virtual connection for community gardeners and a forum for sharing resources and exchanging ideas. In my case, I live in Blessington, County Wicklow and I am part of a local campaign that has been campaigning, so far unsuccessfully, for the provision of community allotments from Wicklow County Council since May 2018. My role is as co-chairperson of Community Gardens Ireland, and I am joined by Ms Maeve Foreman, who will discuss her role and background now.