Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am asking the Minister of State to do three things. Will he relay my concerns to the Minister?

Everybody representing the Ballymun area, those involved there at community level and I are shocked and dismayed by this decision and cannot understand why it was made. It makes no sense on any level. I ask the Minister of State to convey these views to the Minister.

I also ask the Minister of State to meet the three Deputies from Dublin North-West and representatives of the Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership next week for a short meeting. It could be held in Leinster House at any point to facilitate the Minister. In addition, I ask the Minister of State to request the Minister to reverse for this year the cut of €200,000, which affects an area of considerable deprivation that has already suffered very significant cuts in recent years. It is only if this happens that we will have any hope of repairing the damage that could be done by the move to eliminate the partnership and of ensuring some of the activities will continue.

I have made three specific requests and I ask the Minister of State to convey them to the Minister. The first concerns the significant dissatisfaction and dismay locally over the decision. The second is for a meeting with the Minister next week and the third is to restore the funding that has been cut for this year and without which there will be devastating effects in the Ballymun-Whitehall area.

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