Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a most welcome scheme. It is the first time ever that we have had a dedicated national scheme focusing solely on community centres throughout rural Ireland. I live in a small, rural village, Carrabane, in east Galway and when I look at my own community centre it is the very epicentre of life in that community right from the beginning of life through to the end of life. It starts with a mother and toddler group, it has Foróige and scouts and older citizens meet there regularly. We even have yoga for men on Monday nights which I have yet to partake in but am looking forward to.

In assessing all the applications that came in, did any trends emerge in regard to the most pressing needs from within the community centre network throughout the country? Also, I ask the Minister to contemplate at some point in the future, perhaps with Cabinet colleagues, on the real possibility that many of these centres could be used as social centres for retirement villages throughout our rural communities. There are many good examples and exemplars being established internationally now that there is an aging population that these centres could serve much more than just their current needs. They could become the epicentre for very successful retirement facilities immersed and embedded within our rural communities.

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