Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very happy with the level of funding until 2020. My concern is about the fact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has indicated it will not be able to fund it after this. Will it be funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection? To this end, considering the participants are people who receive payments from that Department, I ask the Minister whether the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection will meet the organisers in County Kerry to discuss the future of the project. I thank the Kerry Parents and Friends Association, St. John of God Kerry Services, Local Link Kerry, which provides transport supports through the social car initiative, and people such as Joe McCrohan, Eamon Horgan and all of the farmers who allow the scheme to exist and to grow. This and future Governments, whoever they may be, should make sure to safeguard this most important scheme. It has nothing but benefits for everybody and it is very important that every one of us in the Chamber supports it and ensures its budget is rubberstamped and protected for future so there will never be a doubt about it and that it can grow. Please allow it to grow in Kerry. We need the money. We have proved in the past we have an excellent model but, then again, the people in Kerry do things better than everybody else all of the time anyway. This scheme is definitely run through an excellent model in County Kerry. Please support it.

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