Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will endeavour to work constructively with Deputy Doherty and others in Donegal on this issue. As Deputy Doherty said, I met the Raphoe community playgroup. It told me about the great work it has been doing and I am in no doubt about that. It has been in operation since the early 1980s. It moved into a new purpose-built facility in 2000 and, as Deputy Doherty rightly said, that building has been condemned due to defective blocks. We all have sympathy for it but it does not want sympathy. It wants money. It wants to move this forward. It has been working very hard to come up with a solution. The Department of children has the building blocks grant scheme, which provides capital funding for new buildings and extensions. There is an issue with the ownership of the land. We need to find a way through that. I have written to the Ministers, Deputies Foley and Browne, on this. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is committed to working with the group through the Donegal county childcare committee and Pobal. I will keep Deputy Doherty updated on this.

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