Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. Naturally, the question refers to the whole country, where I appreciate there are many challenging issues. There are questions of integration that need to be looked at carefully. Questions of social exclusion, or attempts at social exclusion, need to be looked at in particular. While I am obviously concerned about the whole country, I have a soft spot for County Kildare, and especially north Kildare; Kildare North is my constituency. I compliment the Minister on her success and innovative values in dealing with the situation as it presents itself. Especially in the coming year, areas to be targeted should in the first instance be ones that need a particular assistance now so the immediate problem can be dealt with. That affects areas with new Irish, other areas be they urban or rural communities, that can be socially deprived, economically deprived or have a range of people in them who are especially vulnerable.

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