Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have met community organisations across the Clondalkin and Lucan areas. They are crying out for financial support that is continuous, structured and applicant-friendly. Community organisations are at the heart of our communities. They put the community in our communities. The reality is that many of our community organisations are historically self-sufficient. The traditional avenues of funding such as renting rooms, holding meetings or having cafés, as mentioned by my colleague, Teachta Paul Donnelly, have completely dried up because of Covid. This constant changing of restrictions does not allow them to plan for the future. We are constantly being told that we have to live with Covid but, at present, our community organisations are in danger of having the lifeblood choked out of them. What our community organisations need are financial supports that are constant, instant and easy to access for the foreseeable future, not this ad hoc, unplanned and piecemeal funding offered by the Government.

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