Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

It is bizarre that fire safety regulations were increased, yet there is no mechanism to help organisations to meet them. Unfortunately, local authorities do not run all community centres. That is the problem. The greyhound industry which many believe is cruel received €17 million from the Government in the recent budget, while community centres have been left to bag-pack, organise pub quizzes, race nights and so on to raise funds to pay for fire safety measures such as fire doors. Is this for real? What are the priorities? As it is, community centres plug gaps where the Government has failed, in particular in dealing with the housing crisis in Dublin West. They provide breakfast clubs for kids, washing facilities for homeless families, hot meals and so on and are doing so from their own budgets. People do not care from where the money comes. They just want it to be made clear that the centres will be supported in what they do. While some people are employed, in involves a great deal of voluntary effort. I ask the Minister to sit down with the people involved to ensure they can draw down funds just as he would sit down if there was a crisis in a rural area, or wherever else, with which I fully agree.

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