Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I definitely believe in having ad hoc meetings on stairwells in flats. People have really lost touch with being in other people's spaces. We expect people to apply for stuff online that they will never see. Something can exist but it can be completely non-existent in someone's life. It is like the old outreach style of work. Beyond youth work, nothing should be necessarily consultation. Those closest to the problems are often closest to the solutions and if we make enough effort to work with people, I do not care if it is in a field, if it is their own environment and community. A lot fewer people are doing that kind of work now and it should inform some of the discussions on how we reach into those spaces and be visibly present in communities.