Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)

I am pleased to speak on national social enterprise policy. The purpose of social enterprise organisations is to sustain the social and economic well-being of people living in our communities. They are essential in delivering social inclusion and the provision of opportunities to some of the most marginalised groups in our society, such as the long-term unemployed. Across the State, they represent almost 4% of the workforce, with over 84,000 people in employment, the vast majority of whom are women.

We often talk about economic growth but for many communities, unfortunately, some that I represent, this growth has not produced any real social or economic benefit. My home city of Limerick still has seven of the top ten unemployment blackspots, which is an incredible statistic. We have communities that rightly feel abandoned and isolated from the rest of society. It is in these circumstances that social enterprises have a critical role to play.

One such enterprise group, and there are many more in Limerick, is the Our Lady of Lourdes Community Services group. It provides services and supports to needy people living in the Ballinacurra Weston community and its surrounds. The community is filled with some of the most decent, fun and kind people you would ever know, but it is a community that is socially and economically disadvantaged. The service seeks to help them, and it has become part of the fabric and a place of refuge. It is just one example and there are many more. They offer a wide range of services to users of all ages, from early years education to youth services and an assortment of other benefits, all provided with the needs of the community at the forefront.

There is, however, a sense of foreboding in the four Limerick regeneration communities of Moyross, Ballinacurra Weston, St. Mary’s Park and Southill. This is because a crucial part of the Limerick regeneration programme was the economic and social intervention fund, which supported many social, educational and economic initiatives to strengthen local regeneration areas. There are plans to cut this funding from €4 million annually to €500,000 in 2028. There is great concern that many important community initiatives will end due to lack of funding. This should be a wake-up call for the Government. The Department of housing and local government has stated that the funding should be transitioned to a sustainable model under the auspices of the council. With many community groups and leaders, I am worried that the level of funding needed cannot be sustained without Government support. I am putting this on the record of the Dáil today.

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