Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To give the Deputy an example regarding the community services programme, we are working with various companies around the country. We are contributing wage contribution to fund more than 2,000 positions in 430 community organisations. With regard to community centres, we have just finalised funding announcements for community centre refurbishments. That was community-led, rather than us setting a target, and that was important. We have just funded €22 million for proposals that came from across the country for specific needs and specific communities. I am worried, that if we set a target, that the communities' response will not be community-led response, whereas this has been driven from the community up regarding the specific service provided by the specific centre. We saw recently during Storm Éowyn how some centres were able to stand up. Therefore, my focus on community centre funding is how we continue to make sure they provide a specific need in the specific community.

Similarly, as we relaunch LEADER in 2025, it is community-focused and community-led. What I want to do is strengthen the structures to enable a community-led response in association with a partnership with the Department. It has to be community-led, however.

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