Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need more involvement here so that there is not just a political response but an understanding by the community that it is in everybody's interests to work for the development of those communities. This Government in making its case to Europe for continued assistance for areas like this will continue to work with the Executive and the agencies at cross-Border level with particular reference, as I have often said in this House, to vulnerable communities where this kind of approach and assistance needs to be given.

It is the case that there is a period of relative calm there now and no time should be lost or no complacency shown in redoubling efforts to work with communities in their own interests. I find there is a great sense among numbers of people to work at that because they see the value of it, and we should never lose sight of that. Nobody wants to see riots anywhere. Obviously, this involves the entire community, political leaders, organisations, communities and community leaders continuously striving to build on what has been a fragile peace. As the Deputy well knows, during the past 30 years many people have given extraordinary amounts of time to work within their communities to build that and we have to ensure that is continued and resourced where that can be done.

I have talked to numbers of people in those communities where they can see the benefit and the results in the young people because they see the benefit of education, of opportunity, of involvement and of taking a different road. There should not be a situation where 11 year olds are out on riots in the streets of Belfast. We have to focus on the future of community involvement with state support to ensure those communities can develop and thrive.

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