Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Having listened to the Minister of State's contribution, it baffles me how this Government has such a disconnect with both urban and rural communities. There are many issues in the Department of Social Protection that need improvement, rationalisation and greater efficiency. These two companies are not in that group.

During the recent recession, MABS and the CIS played a huge part in helping people who had fallen on hard times, including people in mortgage arrears. I refer to the local influence and knowledge those companies can bring to bear in helping local people. Regionalisation has not worked in a number of spheres. Why try to change these organisations that are working so well in their local communities? The voluntary aspect is core to these two organisations. Could that survive regionalisation? It is very difficult to understand how the Government can see that working. This is a bottom-up service that is working and the proposal is to make it a top-down structure. Unfortunately, our experience of that kind of rationalisation is not good.

The Minister has the power to stop this regionalisation. The volunteers in these organisations are convinced that it will hamper the services they provide for local communities. In my county of Tipperary I see the significant service provided by these two organisations. I got a huge number of calls over the weekend from volunteer workers in MABS and the CIS who believe this rationalisation will damage the service they provide. It is irrational to proceed with this rationalisation when all the people working in the service believe it will hinder the services they provide to their communities.

The Minister heard strong arguments being made from the Opposition benches. I plead with the Government to listen to the communities at both urban and rural level and not to implement these proposals.

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