Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Minister for her reply and it was worth staying up this late just to hear such an assertive and affirmative reply from the Minister. There is no ambiguity from the Minister about the future of the competition in 2021 and the more than 924 applicants that will be there will be delighted with the news. It is a very genuine competition and the people involved are the salt of the Earth. They do so much for their community and it is such a valuable competition. I acknowledge the role of SuperValu in the sponsorship in brings along with the State intervention. Its impact is enormous and in the midst of Covid-19, the social value of this competition is highlighted even more.

This is a very positive response from the Minister and all the volunteers will be delighted. It will lead to yet further enhancement of our communities across the State and I sincerely welcome the Minister's reply. I welcome the fact that it was so unambiguous and direct. On this night of the US election, it is worth getting an answer like that at 11.50 p.m. It is rare that one gets a positive answer when putting down a Topical Issue coming up to midnight. This is a very positive response and I thank the Minister sincerely for it.

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