Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It will have devastating consequences for the community of Hartstown if a local community centre, of which I am sure the Minister of State has many in his area, closes down. More than 100 families avail of preschool, Montessori and after-school services. Many local voluntary groups use the community centre on a daily basis. It is a busy centre, which has a significant level of throughput numbering some thousands per week.

With the scale of the capital investment required based on the fire safety audit and report, there is a major volunteer effort to secure funding to get the works required done but that cannot be done alone. The State needs to provide some support to this community. It will have a major consequence with respect to childcare, sport and a massive amount of voluntary activity that takes place in the centre. A solution must be provided by the State side to ensure the community centre can remain open. There is a voluntary board in place and the option facing it is to secure the funding to rectify what is required or else the centre will be closed. That will leave a major vacuum within the community. It will leave a vacuum for many parents who will not have a place for their children to attend while they are at work but also for many volunteer groups which use the facility in the evening. I would appreciate any support or guidance the Minister of State could give on the matter.

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