Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

You know how it is: football is a grand game for a bad hurler.

I have two questions, although the first may not fall under the Department. I know there has been a long-standing commitment in terms of indemnity for landowners where people are enjoying the countryside, crossing farmland and so on. Will the Department give us an update on whether that is happening, if it comes under the remit of the Department?

Second, there is a piece around the Charities Regulator that I raised recently with the Minister. The work that community associations have to do now compared to 20 or 30 years ago is like night and day in terms of charities regulation, auditors and making sure everything is correct with regard to employment law, grievance procedures and so on. Not only does that take up a lot of time, which is challenging, although people are willing to do it, but there is a cost. People have to go to lawyers to get things checked, they have to procure services to help with a new constitution or new articles of association, and different things like that. Are there funding streams available from the Department, not just for new programmes and new employment, but to assist with regulatory costs, such as lawyers’ fees and risk assessments, or perhaps an association is behind a few years on its accounts? Is there funding available from the Department to help a community association that is under that kind of administrative and regulatory pressure?