Colette Kelleher (Independent)
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We are hearing a recurring theme in the areas of education, health and mental health that great work is happening but is often funded on a wing and a prayer. We heard that this morning about the yellow flag programme, the Tobar initiative and the Ballyfermot group, and it is important that this committee recommends action in this area. These initiatives work, but they need mainstream funding and not to be dependent on philanthropic funds, as is the case with Tobar. This is far too fundamental an issue for that to be the case. We cannot leave things to the vagaries of philanthropists or occasional donors. These programmes should be on a firm funding footing. Traveller pride, for instance, an initiative similar to what Deputy Corcoran Kennedy described, is also funded on a shoestring. It is important that proper resources and funding be put into these kinds of initiatives, and there should also be an examination of previous cuts that now need to be reversed.