Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some of this is about being forward looking. Whatever discussions were held, we must take into account how much the area is going to grow. Many people coming into the area will be new to it. They will not necessarily be familiar with the community and, obviously, this is an established community.

All in all, the city council and the Department need to be proactive here. Building 2,000 houses means a lot of people going into the community. There is a need for community infrastructure. Community centres and resource centres can be transformative for an area. The Glen Resource Centre is an excellent example of that. This community centre has brought a huge benefit to the local community. Academic research into community centres shows they can have positive impacts on communities' health and well-being while also building more sustainable, stable communities.

Will the Minister of State consider meeting with the city council to consider this and other communities that need local community centres and examine how they might be provided for localities, especially areas that are growing rapidly?

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