Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I will start with the broader question of the Estimates. I see there is a reduction of 15% from 2020 to 2021. I understand with the pandemic last year there was an increase in special funding arrangements but 2021 has been as difficult for the community sector as was 2020.

I will speak to the community services programme and funding for staff. There is a bit of concern in that the special funding relating to the pandemic for the community services programme is only guaranteed until June 2021 and many people I have met who are connected to projects are very concerned and want this extended right through the entire year. They do not foresee any major improvements in funding and although they are already six months in, we are only really coming out of the lockdown. Many of the projects are still only operating at a minimal level with respect to rooms for rent or hiring of football pitches, etc. They are only being opened now and there is a real concern about them being able to fund that.

On SICAP, a €1 million increase is too small, particularly if we look back to 2008, which I will raise again, when funding was €80 million. We are currently at €45 million and at this rate it will be over 40 years before we get back to what was seen as acceptable in 2008. That must be addressed.

I welcome the pilot community development projects. This was the standard when I was involved with community development projects many years ago and it should be the standard as we go forward. I am puzzled as to why we are doing this as a pilot project. It is the way we should move forward and the community should be involved with local community development projects at a very basic, low level. It needs to happen right in the heart of the community as we move forward.

I have also looked at the funding for the community enhancement programme, which is very much welcome for the projects or community centres that need it. Hartstown and Huntstown community centre would take approximately 20% of the entire budget if it got the required funding to enhance that centre. I make the point again that these community centres were provided by the community or parishes and paid for by the community. That may have happened 20, 30, 40 or 50 years ago, or even before that, and these organisations have never really sought any major and substantial refurbishment. They need that now.

These facilities would have had to have been provided by local authorities if the community had not stepped up to the plate as they were not provided by local authorities. We really need to look at these. There are dedicated community volunteers and the organisations cannot take on huge loans. If some of these centres are not funded properly in order to maintain standards, they will close, which would be a massive loss. The councils will then have to step in and take over these centres, or else they will have to build their own.