Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)

Only last month I was reminded of the dedication and effort that community groups play in their localities when I stepped outside my front door and walked into the Dunshaughlin funfair, part of the week-long Dunshaughlin harvest festival. Its organising committee galvanised the local community to clean up and paint the village as well as renovating some buildings. The festival was successful in attracting visitors to the village and I congratulate the organising committee on its efforts.

Such work is essential to building communities. In Meath alone, there are 400 community groups. As legislators, we need to be aware of their role in local communities and ensure we can relieve some of the burdens they face. I have been contacted by several groups to raise the matter of one such burden, the need for audited accounts. Producing these costs approximately €1,000 every year while participating in FÁS schemes can cost community groups in the order of €2,000 or €3,000, depending on the size of the scheme. Such costs can be highly restrictive, meaning less money is available for other parts of the projects. Will the Minister of State with responsibility for sport ask the Ministers for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Social Protection to examine how the burden on local community groups can be reduced?

Simple solutions have been suggested to me. First, when voluntary and community organisations register with the Companies Registration Office, CRO, could they be defined as not-for-profit companies? Second, could community employment schemes be allowed to operate in a manner similar to the way the rural social scheme works, as this would help to alleviate administrative burden on community groups? I look forward to learning the Minister of State's thoughts on these matters.

The last section of Sinn Féin's motion deals with the all-Ireland consultative civic forum. In my role as Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I will consider this matter. The St. Andrews Agreement builds on the commitment in the Good Friday Agreement to an independent consultative forum where civic society from North and South of the Border can meet and discuss issues. I welcome the comments by the Minister of State, Deputy Penrose last night to the effect that he was fully supportive of the concept and wanted it implemented as soon as possible.

The Government has sent its proposals on the forum to Northern Ireland. We are awaiting a response from the First Minister and the Office of the Deputy First Minister. The Deputy First Minister is otherwise engaged at the moment and has stepped away from his post. No doubt when he returns to his position he can help to drive the review forward.

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