Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands meeting last week, the chair and the CEO of the Irish Local Development Network, ILDN, stated clearly that SICAP providers have played a central role in communities across the country in responding to the needs which emerged during the Covid lockdown and beyond. As the Minister of State stated, they helped over 2,200 individuals on a daily basis who came to their service during the lockdown.

As I said, this is so important. There is no single group of people who have been as affected by disadvantage, cuts and Covid as many of these communities, and particularly the communities that I represent in Dublin 15. It is not good enough. I do not blame the Minister of State personally. This is something that has happened over a period of 13 years. It is not good enough to say that the funding will be €197 million over five years yet if it was 2008 we would be looking at close to €500 million being provided. That is not acceptable or good enough.

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