Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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92. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for an update on Ballyvolane community centre. [38279/25]

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Ballyvolane is a fabulous community. For decades it has been promised a community centre and for decades Government promises have failed to deliver. Will the Minister outline supports and when the community centre will finally be delivered for Ballyvolane?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The community centre investment fund, CCIF, is my Department's primary funding vehicle for new and existing community centres. It was first introduced in 2022 in recognition of the need for a dedicated funding stream to support investment in the hundreds of community facilities that are at the heart of both rural and urban communities.

In Cork, my Department has provided more than €8.9 million for the enhancement and refurbishment of 158 existing community centres in both the city and county. In early 2024, funding of €30 million was approved under CCIF for the construction of 12 new facilities covering nine counties. I can confirm that a project in Cork was successful under this fund, with Rylane community centre being awarded over €1.5 million for the construction of a new facility.

As regards Ballyvolane specifically, I understand that here has not been an application under any iteration of the community centre investment fund for a community centre there. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the fund in line with the commitment in the programme for Government. We are currently negotiating that in the context of the national development plan. This will provide an opportunity for any proposed project in Ballyvolane.

I am happy to work with all the Deputies and Senators from the area around this project, and to explore it further with the Deputy now.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his response but, unfortunately, once again there is nothing there for Ballyvolane. He made the point there has been no application. I have been hearing about a community centre in Ballyvolane for decades. I have attended meetings. How was a community centre not given funding or prioritised in all that time? Over 2,000 houses are planned for the Ballyvolane area on top of the hundreds of houses that are there already. How is it possible to build thousands of houses and not put in the infrastructure and resources at the time? Ballyvolane has been identified as an area for potential future population growth and the possibility of a new district centre under the Cork city development plan. Here we are talking about expanding Ballyvolane, building more houses and getting more people to live there and there is nothing for the children or the community. It has to be delivered.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I do not disagree with the Deputy. That is why we have invested in the community centre investment fund and why we have put money aside for new centres, new builds, in communities such as Ballyvolane. Twelve of those have been funded and Rylane in Cork is one, and that is why I hope to have another scheme next year for new builds. I am more than happy to work with the Deputies here and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, on Ballyvolane but the application has to come in. I would put it back on the city council in this case to work with the Oireachtas Members and the local community, most importantly, to get that application together. I am more than happy to work with the Deputy and to keep him updated on the funding that may or may not be available for a scheme for either new builds or refurbishment. As I said, I have approved €30 million already for new centres. We want to build new centres. We had a discussion earlier on the value of community centres and the Deputy’s colleague Deputy O’Reilly highlighted the need for co-location of services such as childcare. That is what we want to do.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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A new development is going up in Lahardane with hundreds of homes. There is to be a site there for a specific building for a community centre. You could not swing a cat in it, no disrespect. What we want is a proper community centre delivered for the people of Ballyvolane, for the existing residents and the new residents who will come there. We want to see services provided in the community. I was recently at a meeting with other TDs and councillors from the ward where it was outlined that a scoping exercise was going on. I am asking that when a plan is delivered by Cork City Council and the Ballyvolane community, the Minister and the Government give a commitment that the money will finally be there to deliver it. During the local election campaign, councillors and candidates from Government parties were out talking about the need for the community centre. Were these more false promises made at election time which are not then delivered? If an application is made by Cork City Council and the community, will the Minister commit to fund a new community centre in Ballyvolane?

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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I commend both the Minister and the Minister of State, who have committed to meeting me regularly. I have met the Minister of State in particular about this. As has been highlighted, the application is not in but I am very grateful for the €30,000 that was secured by me and colleagues for the scoping exercises to find the right site for Ballyvolane. I am acutely aware of the recent visit by the Minister of State, who committed to getting the project over the line and agreed it is overdue. He is dedicated to Cork, in fairness to him. I am working very hard with Leeds football club and other groups such as the men’s shed to secure the ideal location. As my honourable colleague has said, Ballyvolane will be doughnutted in the next couple of years. We accept that, but it is about finding the perfect location. Over ten years ago, the perfect location, to which money was allocated, was rejected by the community, which I think was a mistake. I thank the Minister for making the moneys available for Ballyvolane and I look forward to working with him and the Minister of State on securing them going forward.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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It is clear that Deputy O’Flynn has done a lot of work. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, tells me he taught in the area so he knows it very well. I cannot give Deputy Gould a guarantee. Local authorities have to prepare plans but judging by the scoping work, site identification work and community meetings, it sounds as though they are doing the necessary preparatory work. It sounds like an area that needs it. With the Minister of State’s experience in the area, the Deputies will be pushing an open door. Nevertheless, that does not take away from the need for Cork City Council, working with the Deputies as Oireachtas representatives and with the local community, to have an adequately prepared application outlining the benefits that would be brought from it. This is very competitive - unfortunately, there are a lot of Ballyvolanes - but I hear Deputies Gould, O’Flynn, O’Sullivan and Burke and the Minister of State, who are all very loud in their support for this.