Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department will provide assistance to develop a community centre in Fair Hill, Cork city. [20940/24]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister to provide an update on whether she will provide assistance to develop a community centre in the Fair Hill-Fairfield area of Cork city.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Community centres bring us together, whether for sporting, educational or social occasions. They provide a focal point for everyone in local communities and particularly for the most marginalised members of our society. In the past two years I have approved funding of over €75 million through the community centre investment fund. I am sure the Deputy will agree that this is a really substantial investment through what is a completely new scheme introduced by this Government.

I should also point out that my Department is providing support for community centres and community amenities through other funding programmes such as the town and village renewal scheme, the CLÁR programme, LEADER and the local enhancement programme. Only last month I announced funding of more than €20 million for 82 projects under the town and village renewal scheme. Many of these projects involved works to community centres and other community facilities. The development of large-scale new facilities on greenfield or brownfield sites was the focus of the community centre investment fund projects that I also announced last month. There are 12 projects supported with funding of €30 million. No application was received in respect of a community centre in Fair Hill, County Cork, but I expect there will be other opportunities to apply for funding for such projects in future across the range of schemes offered by my Department.

I am now considering the next round of funding under the community centre investment fund, what it will fund and how it can best support more communities. I remain committed to ensuring that funding for these vital community resources will continue to be available across a range of schemes implemented by my Department.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. First, I welcome the money that has been put into the community fund. However, the people of Fair Hill and Fairfield have not had a community centre for decades. For the past ten years, this brilliant community has again been trying to develop a community centre. At the moment, it has a two-bedroom house from Cork City Council, to which hundreds of children come for youth groups every week. There is also a men's shed group and an art group making use of this little two-bedroom house. This community has been failed by the Government and Cork City Council for decades. When one considers the number of children involved and the work they and the volunteers are doing, it is obvious they need help.

Cork City Council needs extra resources to help to deliver this assistance. Those involved are volunteers and they cannot be out every night of the week, working with children, families and the community. The Minister knows how hard it is to put an application together to get a site ready. More work needs to be done to support communities to be able to do this. It is a fabulous community.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I have no doubt it is a good community. I will tell the Deputy a story. I was talking to a fellow one day and he asked me: “How come we got no money? How come we did not get any grant?” I asked if they had put in an application and he said “No.” I said that if you do not put in an application, it is not going to fall out of the sky.

I appreciate there is work to be done in putting together applications but people need to work with their local authority. In this case, it is Cork City Council, which has a community section, like all local authorities. I would say to that local community to come together and come forward with a plan. There are different places they can apply to get funding to put together a proposal. For example, LEADER has been very good in the past at providing money for a feasibility study. I would suggest to that community to get their plans together, work with the local authority and get their application in. The Government cannot help if they do not get an application in. We will be happy to support any community that puts in an application.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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We are trying to get the money for the feasibility study. This group is currently doing that but it is taking years to access any funding. Maybe it is different with the funding for shovel-ready projects but this site is not shovel-ready and will not be until the feasibility study is carried out.

The question is whose responsibility it is to deliver a community centre. Is it always on the volunteers? These are people with their own families who are working their own jobs. What do we want them to do? Do we want them filling in forms and have that as their job, or do we want them out helping young people? They have a summer camp that children from all over Cork city come to join.

All I am saying is that community groups might not have the resources or skills to get these projects over the line. They need to be supported. Along with the funding the Minister is providing, is this something she can do to help them work with the local authorities? Fair Hill has been part of Cork for hundreds of years and this community has been there for decades. All they are looking for is a community centre for their children and their community.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I often find it is good if communities talk to other communities that have been successful. I have seen over the years that some communities are better than others at completing application forms. There has to be capacity building, which I accept. Cork City Council submitted an application for a new-build community centre at Newton Heights, Boherboy Road, Cork city, and that was successful. The community were able to come together and work with the local authority, and they got the application in. I would say to the community in Fair Hill that they should take advice and have a conversation with the community in Boherboy, but also work with the local authority. This has to come through the local authority, which has a community section. The community need to engage with the local authority and work with it.

I will not be found wanting and I have not been found wanting in supporting community centres across the country. Some 680 projects were funded through the last fund and there were 30 grants for new-build community centres. It is successful. We will not be found wanting but they have to come together themselves and work with the local authority. That is the process.