Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister brought up the issue of the €400,000 for the three different projects. One of them I am aware of is Young Ballymun but, needless to say, I have concerns. The €400,000 being released is for another 12 months but I am concerned as to whether that is enough for what we intend to do. This started in 2007 when the philanthropists got involved and funding of €15 million was provided. The project in Ballymun, which I am only using as an example, has not got to completion. When we talk about what we need to do in the area based childhood, ABC, programme in terms of early intervention, we must see it as a cycle from preschool through to the school completion programme, and I do not believe we have done that.

I would like to believe we have a long-term plan in regard to any of the 13 centres, of which ten are in Dublin. We need to have a plan. The people who are providing the service for children in impoverished areas need to know that the Government has a long-term plan for delivery and that it is not just for the next 12 months. We should not be "Sellotaping" from year to year while wondering about funding. We need to know that from the time they enter into the parental programme they are brought through to the early intervention programme, that they get involved in the breakfast clubs and the schools programme, to completion of the leaving certificate and that we get the family support put in place. The Minister is well aware of what they have done in Ballymun because it is her area. Coming from east Galway I am not as aware but I do understand that with any amount of intervention, be it from our health service or educational system, regardless of how little, we will reap the rewards in years to come. The Minister and I, and other Members of this House, can give these children their best start in life but we cannot penny-pinch from them at the very beginning.

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