Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. As we all know, however, community centres play a very important role in communities/ They can incorporate day-care centres and offer places where young people and others can meet. I am sure that this does not just apply to Galway and that it is prevalent elsewhere. In the particular area to which I refer, however, there is nothing for the more than 6,000 people who live there. The only facility there was a hotel and that was knocked down in order to make way for new student accommodation erected.

The local people got together and raised more than €200,000, a huge amount of money, to get the project through the planning process to a point where it is now shovel-ready. Galway City Council is 100% on board. It has decided to give those involved with the project more than €900,000. I am sure that if we went to the council we would probably get more money from it. There is a shortfall in funding and the community cannot raise the amount involved.

I agree with the Taoiseach. There should be a group working on this matter. I ask that something be done in the short term, not the long term. Do not kick this ball down the road. This area needs a community centre, as do, I am sure, many other areas throughout the country. I welcome the grant that was introduced during the pandemic, which was used to refurbish and repair many community centres. Unfortunately, as the Taoiseach stated, there is no fund for the building of community centres. Why not make this a pilot project? Will the Taoiseach come back to the House in the short term with sort of proposal to allow us to build this much-needed facility.

See this speech in context