Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this issue which is important for my constituents in Tipperary town and south Tipperary. The project for the youth hostel, or the hostel as we know it in Tipperary town, has been ongoing for some time. A commitment was given by the HSE, through RAPID, that money would be made available. The commitment promised funding of €40,000 for a lift in that complex. Some weeks ago, a notification was given to the people involved in this project that the €40,000 would not be made available.

This is a gross waste of taxpayers' and community money and of time for everybody involved in this project. Considerable investment was put into that project but a letter has now arrived from the Department stating that €40,000 on its own cannot be given to this project which could have a significant impact in our locality with regard to tourism and young people who might come to the area.

The same letter was sent to the youth and community project in the main street in Tipperary town. This town has recently suffered a great amount of unwanted publicity that it could have done without. The Government sent a letter, or allowed a letter to be sent, again stating that €40,000 has been cut back. That decision involves two projects in the same town where such services are badly needed for our young people and others in the community.

In recent weeks I have seen the great work that has gone into these two projects and I ask if there is any way these two grants might be replaced. Leaving them aside will mean the projects cannot go ahead. I implore the Minister of State to use his good offices to change that.

The same situation exists at the other end of the constituency, in Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel. I did not mention those towns when I submitted the item for the Adjournment. Project work was being carried out and the Department suddenly decided to put it on hold for some weeks. This is unfair, a gross waste of taxpayers' money and is a bad way for any Government to do business. The Minister of State knows Tipperary town as well as I do. I hope he will be able to deliver a better answer than the one contained in the letter. I saw the faces of the people who explained the situation to me after getting this letter. They have given years of planning and months of hard work to those projects, particularly those in Tipperary town. It is unfair and unjust. I ask the Minister of State to use his good offices in the next few weeks to restore those grants to the people involved in a very good and worthwhile community project.

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