Ms Elaine Dunne:

We have been working with a service that has applied for the sustainability fund and it is not very easy to access. There is a lot of paperwork involved in it and the business is completely scrutinised.

It is something that providers do not like having to go through. One cannot get a loan or mortage and cannot do anything for five years if one accepts this sustainability fund, so it is really difficult for a provider to put their hand up and say that they have become totally unviable. Why is that? They have been chronically underfunded by Government and one is putting one's hand up to look for a handout from it that is going to damage one's capability as a business person even more.

We have spoken with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. We had a meeting with him three weeks ago where we asked him to rebrand the sustainability fund and to change the name, and then it may make it a lot easier for providers to access it and draw it down. They are looking at that but we are waiting to hear back from them. It would be great if that could be raised through the Oireachtas committee.