Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is harder for the 100 that he cannot facilitate. For someone of the Minister of State’s calibre, who works so assiduously in his constituency, that is probably one of the more difficult aspects of his job. We need to continue the investment.

I have been critical of how the Government has over-politicised the distribution of that money when it changed its policy. In the past, Department officials validated and scored the applications and assigned people money. The current Administration has decided to remove the independence associated with the assignment of the money and has brought it under political control.

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