Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The inner city did not have a partnership, so it was in a different situation from other areas. There are still concerns that community development is going out to tendering and is being privatised, so there is a danger that all the expertise could be lost. While we all accept we must get value for money, community development projects and programmes cannot just be economically led, they must also be led on the basis of social justice.

Will there be unnecessary levels of bureaucracy with the new process? The projects are under considerable strain with the services they are providing to lone parents, including affordable child care, second-chance education, and training. They could do without the many levels of bureaucracy, as is happening in other areas.

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