Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last November, I raised with the Taoiseach the disturbing suggestion that community funding for the north side of Limerick city was about to be cut by 59%. At the time he expressed concern and said he would ask the Minister of State to have a word with me. The Taoiseach did that and I thank him for that. However, when I spoke to the Minister of State, he said he could not meet the representatives of the communities affected because the decision had not yet been taken. The decision has now been taken and instead of a 59% cut, we are getting a 100% cut on the north side of Limerick city. Community funding has disappeared now on the north side of Limerick city, an area that includes Moyross, Ballynanty, Kileely, St. Mary's Park and King's Island, which are, by the Government's own statistics, some of the most deprived communities in the country, suffering from extreme deprivation. Could the Taoiseach instruct the Minister of State to meet representatives of those communities now that this decision has been taken? This is the worst time to withdraw this type of funding from these communities.

See this speech in context