Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. That case was made when I was in Galway and Ballinasloe last week. Galway Rural Development made the case very well. I also had a good meeting in the Connacht Hotel with a group of 60-plus community employment supervisors. They certainly made the case around costs and made some good suggestions about what we could do in terms of materials grants as well. That is not a matter for this Department but it is relevant to the wider community and voluntary sector which they work with on a community-wide basis throughout the country. To give wider assurance, I and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, have discussed this issue. It has an impact on other Departments as well. There is live consideration being given to the broader issue that is facing the community and voluntary sector in terms of the increased costs they are going to have this winter.

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