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

The facts are there. It is clear that the funding gap is approximately 12% to 14%, depending on which project is involved. There are section 10s, sections 56s and section 39s, in addition to programmes that are directly funded by the Department. This funding is critical for community development because it is a very specific sector and role that covers a plethora of different services, projects and needs within communities. The Minister of State sits at the Cabinet table. I ask him to raise at Cabinet the crisis in staff retention and recruitment in the community sector. The Government should look at a strategy, possibly a national pay agreement, or agree to look at what we and the Government can do regarding a national wage agreement for community development workers that will cover all such workers, no matter what section or area they work in.

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