Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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St. Luke's Youth Club and community centre in Kilmore West has been closed since 2023. The centre was used by many groups within the community, from football clubs to ladies groups and summer projects. In 2023, I contacted Dublin City Council, DCC, regarding the closure of the building. I received an email - I have it here for the Minister of State - informing me that a report into the works that were needed would be completed by the first week in January 2024. Rolling on, it is June 2025 and still no works have been completed there.

Expressions of interest were opened for groups who would like to use the premises. Two local groups came forward and expressed interest. It seemed like we were having movement on it and then, all of a sudden, it stalled again. We were told that the council was going to meet the groups but nothing happened. We have received no timeframe for when this work will be completed and in the meantime, we have young girls changing on the side of the road for football matches. Local summer projects had to find new premises. The Minister of State will agree that is simply not good enough.

Kilmore West has amazing volunteers who want to better their community. They give up their own hours - many hours - for the children in Kilmore West. This area is badly in need of amenities. We have seen our local swimming pool closed. We have seen Kilmore Celtic fighting for years for amenities. I want to give the Minister of State an indication of the situation. When I was on Dublin City Council in 2014, one of the main campaigns from the local councillors was for a playground. Fast forward 11 years, we only got our playground now. We cannot sit around for another 11 years waiting for this to be completed. What can the Minister of State do to make sure this is done as a matter of urgency?

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
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St. Luke's community centre was built decades ago. At the time, the community of Kilmore and surrounding areas fought tooth and nail to get this badly needed facility. For the best part of a year and a half, it has been closed by Dublin City Council. With little or no consultation with the community, the building was blocked up and closed and access refused. The building itself is in good condition except for a number of works to be carried out, which would cost in the region of €150,000.

There is no shortage of people looking to use this building. There is a huge increase in the population locally, with hundreds of new apartments and houses built and being built. Kilmore Celtic, a local football club across the road, has young girls and boys with no place to change, go to the toilet or even have a shower. It is a huge embarrassment and a terrible indictment that visiting football teams, especially young girls, have to change out in the open and cannot even go to the toilet or have a shower.

At a time when young children are going on holidays, summer projects and activities should be taking place in this community building. Senior citizens and community groups are crying out for facilities. People and those with disabilities have nowhere to go while attending football matches across the road from the centre - so much for disability-proofing our communities.

I have engaged with Dublin City Council personnel on a good number of occasions. I have repeatedly been told that we are moving ahead but there is still no movement. It is frustrating that excuse after excuse has been put in the way.

This is a vital community facility which we urgently need. There seems to be an unwillingness to move ahead with this project and that is part of the problem.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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First of all, I am shocked to hear that girls and boys have to change their clothes out in the open. It is fairly archaic and dangerous.

The Government recognises the important role that community centres play in community life in Ireland, particularly in bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. Over the past four years, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres across the country through a new dedicated funding stream for community centres.

The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced to respond to the funding needs of community centres, in both rural and urban areas, so that we can support the provision of high-quality, accessible, community spaces. The CCIF has provided more than €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Under the first fund launched in 2022, over €45 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. This includes 78 projects in County Dublin with funding of over €4.6 million. I have been informed by the Minister, Deputy Calleary, that the majority of these projects are now complete and benefiting communities all over Ireland.

The latest iteration of the CCIF, in 2024, also supported the enhancement and refurbishment of community centres. Through that round of funding, over €33 million has been approved for more than 770 projects nationwide. This includes funding of up to €100,000 each for category 2 projects that my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, announced for 369 community centres last March. Again, there were over 60 successful projects in County Dublin, with funding of €2.6 million approved.

The scheme has also supported community groups that are striving to build their own community centres. The 2023 CCIF was opened specifically for applications for new community centres. The 2023 new-build scheme supported communities with shovel-ready projects on greenfield or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. A capital grant of between €1 million and €6 million was available to build multi-functional centres in areas that lacked community facilities. Through that iteration of the fund, the Department of the Minister, Deputy Calleary, approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres in nine counties.

Regarding community facilities in Kilmore, I understand that local authority officials are exploring potential arrangements in existing facilities to support the community there. This approach would allow support for community activity in the short term while preserving resources for a more sustainable and integrated solution in the future.

While the Government’s immediate priority is to facilitate the delivery of the 770 projects that have recently been announced, we are also committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years. This is in line with the commitment in the programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund. Over the coming months, further consideration will be given to what the next round of the CCIF will involve and the types of facilities that will be targeted. I am confident that the fund will continue to play a central role in supporting strong and resilient communities.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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With respect, Kilmore only got four lines in the reply. That is not on the Minister of State - he was given that to read. This was a specific question about a specific area where we feel we are going around in circles. We have been engaging with Dublin City Council and officials. We are asking for support from the Minister of State’s Department to get this over the line.

Councillors on the north central area committee were recently told that the issue would be looked at. What we are asking for is commitment. I thank the Minister of State for the reply but it did not have very much for the people of Kilmore. I ask the Department to please engage with Dublin City Council to finally get this sorted once and for all for the community of Kilmore West.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
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It seems there was no application whatsoever made on behalf of the Kilmore community centre, which is so disappointing. No attempt was made to get funding. However, there is funding in Dublin City Council, as well as from the Oscar Traynor development which has a €7 million fund which could be used to the tune of €150,000 in this case. It seems as though Kilmore has not been given a second thought. It my opinion that there has been resistance from the management in Dublin City Council about this. It is unacceptable for any community centre to be closed down for a year and a half. This is a community centre that was hard fought for and is badly needed in a community that is crying out for services. It is an absolute shame.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I know Deputy Mitchell said I had two or three lines in relation to Kilmore. Deputy Ellis has hit the nail on the head. If an application comes in to a Department, it will be dealt with. Deputy Heneghan, who is present, has spoken to me about this before. The Department cannot provide funding until an application comes in. Two application processes have been gone through and there will be further application processes. My advice, and I come from a community background myself, is to get back to the local authority and tell it to get ready for the next call. That advice is not in the reply. I am giving it to the Deputies myself. That is the way I would do it. I was telling the Deputies all the money that has been given out by the Department for the two iterations of the scheme. There was also a scheme for new community centres. Dublin community centres benefited from that, as did hundreds of community centres right across the country. This is not the forum in which this should be tackled. The Department has provided funding. My experience from making applications with my own community is that if you make the application, it will be dealt with fairly.

I would go back to the Deputy’s initial point about girls and boys togging out to play football or whatever else out in the open. I used to do it when I was a young lad, which is not today nor yesterday, in the turlough in Belclare but nobody could see us doing it. I would tell the Deputies to go back and see where the local authority is at with it. That is where it needs to be interrogated first. I appreciate that the Deputies have raised it and that Deputy Heneghan has also raised it with me and others in the group too. Working together, hopefully we will get it over the line.