Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Burton, on her appointment as Tánaiste. I also congratulate the Aire Stáit, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, on his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for activation. The idea behind putting the activation programmes in the Department with the social welfare payments was to try to reduce the amount being paid to people to do nothing and to increase their opportunities to do something. The community services programme, which has not been expanded in recent years, is one of the best schemes because of the social, practical and community gains associated with it. I would like to Minister of State to tell us what he is going to do to use the potential of the community services programme for the good of society. I know it is a bit early for him to reflect on the matter, given that he has been in office for just an hour

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