Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Different sources of funding are referred to in the response I have here. In many ways, FRCs are left chasing funding programmes and designing projects around specific funding programmes which can be a considerable task in itself. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, has through his work rolled out an additional seven pilot community development projects, CDPs, which are most welcome because many of them went the road under the 2009 cohesion programme. We want to specifically focus on and support those community development principles that FRCs do so well.

I will pass on the request to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, about visiting both Bandon and Skibbereen, if he is on a scheduled visit to the area. With regard to the point around the capital funding for securing a premises and whether it should be a greenfield site, it is highly challenging for a voluntary board to try to embark on a process such as that. I have been on voluntary boards of FRCs and I know exactly what it is like. I will take the request that the Deputy put to us here this evening back.

It would be important to try to support the work FRCs are doing and support the voluntary board in trying to achieve its objectives and find permanent homes because these families need all the help they can get in the community and they need the certainty of a permanent home as well. However, with regard to the funding issue, multi-annual funding is a tricky one. There are quite a number of sources of funding, not just Tusla, from which FRCs can draw down, but they need to be in a strong position and have a strong voluntary board to be able to support managers and staff to be able to pursue those streams of funding. I am sorry for the roundabout answer but I will take back the specific request to the Minister for the Deputy.

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