Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I would have thought they would be in a better position to succeed with an application because, obviously, they have the structures in place already. I do not know where their funding is coming from. It is probably from another State source, in which case they have overcome all the regulatory obligations and requirements to get State funding. An example in this regard is the YMCA. Money was given to it, I recall, under the community safety fund.

That was for staff to engage with vulnerable people to try to divert them from getting involved in criminal activity or giving them things to do in terms of social activity for young people. If an entity is in place that is hiring somebody already and it wants to hire two people, that is a fund to apply to. A lot of people do not know about it. There are a lot of funds out there that people do not know about. There are people and commendable entities that know where the funding is coming in. Annually they apply. Very good applications go in and generally they get it. We need to start telling smaller communities - it is my responsibility as Minister - that smaller communities and entities can apply. There has to be some level of formality. It cannot just be an application, getting the money and using it around. People need to set out what they want to use the money for.