Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Does the Taoiseach agree that provision must be made not just for the great, the good, the rich and the powerful but also for the disadvantaged and marginalised in any true civic republican concept of citizenship? In that sense, does he acknowledge there is a conflict between his allegiance to this concept and the decision by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, and the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Noel Ahern, to stop core funding for an organisation like the Community Workers Co-operative? This organisation has promoted active citizenship, focusing on issues of disadvantage and exclusion and yet its very existence is threatened by the removal of core funding by the Government.

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