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

I thank the Minister of State. I am sure he is tired of being spoken to about Hartstown Community Centre, which is close to my heart. We have been passionately trying to help and support it. Unfortunately, it recently endured another crisis, with an inspection from Tusla leading to another really difficult and stressful time for the voluntary board of management. Unfortunately, the management needs a massive investment of funding in the centre to turn it into a modern community centre. The existing funding is very welcome and helpful in keeping the centre ticking over. However, community centres not owned by a local authority do not get the same level of funding. For example, if this situation were happening in a local authority community centre in the next community - and there is one there - funding would have been secured and the problem sorted out by now. It is unfair that because the diocese and the community took on board the management, running, ownership and so on of Hartstown Community Centre, it is again being left with very small amounts of funding when it needs a massive injection of it.

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