Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want the Deputy to be clear that I do not have a baseline in my budget for community halls all over the country. The Deputy, among others, the Taoiseach and a number of people came to see me. They had a problem in Hartstown and now there is a problem in Huntstown. I have put aside a small sum in my Department to assist these communities. In Hartstown we are waiting for the local authority to come back to tell us how much is actually required. The local authority is also committed to providing funding for the project. I do not have a baseline in my budget, but in other parts of the country people can obtain funding from the LEADER programme for community halls. The community enhancement programme is also available, whereby local authorities can provide assistance for community halls. This is a major issue that is developing. As such, I will put aside €250,000 from Dormant Accounts Fund money next year and will see what I can do to help. However, this issue cannot be left to one Department. Local authorities have to play their part, as do other Departments and people in leadership positions. We are committed to helping communities, which is why we have SICAP, the CSP and other programmes to assist them.

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