Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

That is an incredibly disappointing response. It is also very confusing. In one part the Minister of State said it is a private matter between a potential investor and the project concerned and that, essentially, he has nothing to do with the administration of it. In another part, he said the immigrant investor programme was first introduced by the Government and directed us to the Department's immigration service website for information on it. Clearly there is a role here for the Government. Clearly the Government set it up and facilitated it. The Government has a responsibility to those charities which, as I said, are providing a service that the Government is unable to, or will not, provide to ensure those charities, which applied in good faith for this programme under the auspices of the Government, get the money they are due.

I understand the Minister of State cannot speak about specific charities or applicants and that is fine. This response indicates to me that the Minister of State is completely washing his hands of it. Am I to go back to this charity and tell it this has nothing to do with the Government anymore, that it is on its own, and that the programme which the Government and Fine Gael set up has been closed and there are no guarantees about the funding? This charity has made plans on the basis it was approved for this funding. It has been waiting for three years. It is still in discussions or consultations. There is still information going backwards and forwards between it and the organising entity. What am I to tell these charities? Has this absolutely nothing to do with the Government now? I can tell the Minister of State that the charities will be very disappointed if they are told the respite centre for children will not go ahead, the day care centre for adults will not go ahead, and the training centre will not go ahead. It will cause great disappointment in Wicklow if I go back and tell people a Fine Gael Minister of State has told me it has nothing to do with the Government.

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