Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I am sure the Minister of State is aware that the defective concrete block crisis has ravaged my county of Donegal and other counties. It has destroyed people's homes, farm buildings and businesses but it is also affecting community organisations across the county. Some of these community organisations are technically being classed as commercial buildings, including organisations like the Raphoe Community Playgroup, which hosts around 45 children. This playgroup owns a building that was built in 2000 with funds from the EU Special Programmes Body for peace and reconciliation, as well as through a lot of hard work and local fundraising initiatives in the town of Raphoe and the surrounding area.

There was great excitement in the town back in 2000 when the playgroup received confirmation that funding had been secured for the new building. The playgroup itself predates the building. It has been in existence since 1982, with thousands of children and families from Raphoe and the surrounding areas availing of its service in that time. Now it is being condemned due the presence of defective concrete blocks. The playgroup has been told that from June it will not have a home. It will not have a safe building from which to serve the community and its future is now in serious doubt. It is shocking that it is in this position through no fault of its own, that it finds itself in this place. The irony is not lost on the local people that this is a building built in 2000 that is directly in the shadow of the historic Raphoe Castle which was built some 400 years ago. It still stands while a building built 24 years ago during a period of light-touch regulation or no regulation has been condemned. A staff member told my party leader, Mary Lou McDonald, and me that she had a kettle older than the building.

The Government has not provided any support or advice for community organisations affected by this crisis. They are not included in the Government's already flawed redress grant and they are not alone. Many community organisations in Donegal are in the same position. This is the next facet of the crisis that is emerging. Where will these community organisations go when their buildings are eventually condemned? It is currently the Department, Pobal and local childcare committees that will have to pick up the pieces regarding this. The Government was warned two years ago that this particular building in Raphoe had defective concrete blocks and would not be safe for children so the news should not have come out of the blue when I raised it again with the Department and the Minister in March. Will the Minister of State outline what measures have been taken to address this? What supports will be provided to Raphoe Community Playgroup and other community groups that will likely soon be in the same position?

It is not good enough for Raphoe Community Playgroup to be left in a position of limbo, which is where it finds itself. The children are fantastic, but they have now taken to drawing slogans and signs that say "save our school". They are doing that to draw attention to their plight. They have nowhere to go in September. They do not know where they will be going. They cannot go back to the school as it has been condemned and there is still uncertainty as to whether this school will be rebuilt. People in Raphoe want to know whether there will be funding to rebuild the building. People across the county also want to know what will happen when it is their turn to move out of their premises because the Government has not provided any clarity on this. It is not acceptable. This is a community not-for-profit organisation the members of which put their hands in their pockets - yes, they got grant aid from Departments in the past - built a home and as a result of no-touch or light-touch regulation find that their building is now crumbling and children, parents and staff do not know where they have to go in September. It is not acceptable. We need clarity today.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. When I read the script before coming to the House, I was struck by the fact that not long ago we had a similar discussion about Raphoe counselling services. Thankfully, they have been secured which is a positive outcome. I hope we can provide the same positive outcome for this.

The Department is aware of a service in Donegal with structural issues in its building due to mica and that the service has been told it will have to close in June this year. The Minister has asked Pobal and the Donegal county childcare committee to engage with the service's management board and investigate possible relocation options for the service. A temporary location is currently being reviewed for suitability and the Department has informed Pobal that if it becomes a feasible option for the service, relocation supports and other accommodations such as a four day, 41 week early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme contract will be supported. Pobal and the Donegal county childcare committee are engaging with the service regarding their plans to communicate ongoing developments to parents and guardians. The Department will engage with Pobal regarding the service and assist with funding a relocation through the case management and sustainability process. Donegal county childcare committee is also working on finding suitable alternative places for children in attendance, to ensure that if the service cannot relocate, there is minimal disruption to their care.

It is important to emphasise that the safety of children and staff is paramount. Services that have had mica identified in their buildings are the subject of regular inspections by engineers and architects. No service will be able to operate if its premises is deemed unsafe, which everyone understands.

One of the Deputy's questions related to what the Department is doing to assist services affected by mica. The Department oversees sustainability funding for services should they need to relocate due to mica. Any service affected by mica should contact its local childcare committee in the first instance. The local childcare committee will assist the service in finding a suitable alternative location and will engage with Pobal and the Department regarding sustainability funding to facilitate the relocation of the service. The local childcare committee will source suitable alternative places for the children attending these services to ensure minimum disruption to their care, should a service be unable to relocate.

The Deputy mentioned that 45 children use the service. It is an important service that dates back to 1982. The building in which it is located dates back to 2000. The Minister, working with Pobal and Donegal County Council, wants to reassure parents and the childcare committees that a suitable location will be found. I have been informed that the local city and county childcare committees are engaging with parents to help to find suitable alternative care. Parents who are affected are encouraged to reach out to their local county childcare committee, details of which can be found on the website. That is all I have from the Minister.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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That is simply not acceptable. I ask the Minister of State to put herself in the shoes of the parents or the staff. She talked about helping the children to find suitable alternative placements if no accommodation can be found. No one knows where those placements are. The staff do not know if there will be jobs for them after September. She previously said that one strand of the sustainability funding that can be accessed through the Department can support the services with the cost of relocation. I welcome that there is at last some sort of intervention by the Government, but it is not good enough for Raphoe Community Playgroup to be left in the limbo it has been. It still does not know whether there is a funding stream and we are now almost in the month of June.

The playgroup has found a place in Raphoe to which some of the children could possibly be relocated on a temporary basis, but it has to be approved by Tusla. The latter still has not happened. As of now, weeks from the date when the building will be deemed to no longer be safe, parents do not know if they will have somewhere safe to send their children. Staff do not know whether they will have jobs or whether they will be able to pay their mortgages. That is simply not good enough. The fact is that the town of Raphoe wants its designated permanent playgroup building that residents raised money to build. There is no guarantee that the funding will be available for that either. Rightly, they will not settle for anything less and I support them in that.

In previous correspondence with me, the Minister of State suggested the possible relocation of children and she said that again today. This should not be acceptable. Children and parents should be able to stay in their own communities, in a community that fundraised for the building. The relocation of children to where? I repeat, we are now almost in June and we still do not know. Parents and staff have been left in limbo. Will the staff have jobs in June? Can the Minister of State guarantee that will be the case? Can she provide clarity for those who are worried?

Going forward, the Government will have to think about the impact defective blocks are having on similar services in the county and make sure we are better prepared. It was notified of this issue two years ago. We are days away from the deadline when the building will be condemned. Children do not know where they will be going. Parents do not know where the children will go. Tusla has not approved the alternative accommodation. The staff do not know whether they will have jobs or whether these children will be scattered to the four winds to different places that might be located miles away. It is not acceptable. This happened because of light-touch regulation on the part of the Government. We still do not have a plan weeks out from a decision on the building being made. I am really disheartened by the Minister of State's response. We need better from the Government.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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To clarify, a temporary location is currently being reviewed for suitability. I cannot be clearer than that. The Department has informed Pobal that if it becomes a feasible option for the service, relocation supports and other accommodations, such as a four-day, 41-week ECCE scheme contract will be supported. As the Deputy said, we all have to acknowledge that not only the children and parents, but also the staff who work there, are looking for certainty.

It is a unique situation and each service will need to be supported on an individual basis. Pobal and the Donegal County Childcare Committee are engaging with the service regarding their plans to communicate ongoing developments to parents and guardians. Communication is really important because some children will return in September but more new children will start the ECCE programme for the first time. The Department will engage with Pobal regarding this service and assist in funding a relocation through the case management and sustainability process.

I will bring the Deputy’s concerns back to the Department of children. Time is of the essence, I agree. The children, their parents and staff need certainty on this.