James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, to the House on a very important issue relating to my county of Longford. I have brought this motion on social inclusion programme cutbacks affecting Longford Community Resources before the House because I want the Minister to explain how he can justify his inhumane destruction of the work community groups are doing to provide support for the disadvantaged, in this case, in County Longford.

My colleagues and I continually bring the appalling injustices perpetrated by the Government, to the attention of the Seanad. Unbelievably, the Government expects the less well off and disadvantaged to make up for its mismanagement of public funds. Even by its standards, however, it is beyond belief that, in four and a half months, a 6% budget cutback has become a 20% funding cut. It is heartbreaking to think the valuable work that Longford Community Resources does in County Longford on services, projects and training, is being terminated and that the weakest and least vocal are suffering the consequences.

To cut support to early school leavers, the long-term unemployed, lone parents, small farmers, Travellers, the disabled and the elderly in a county, two thirds of which has CLÁR and RAPID status, is totally unacceptable. Longford Community Resources has been presented with a cutback to its budget of €173,000. This will affect every community group throughout the county. It will affect not only its services to the disadvantaged, but initiatives from the ICA, tourism promotion and parish groups will also be hit. Longford Community Resources had, as it thought, secured funding for a three-year period to the end of 2003 and had allocated budgets to a variety of community programmes and initiatives on that basis.

While €60,000 was announced for a new community development project, which was actually sanctioned four and a half years ago, Longford Community Resources received details of cuts of €173,000 from its 2003 budget. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs funds both the community development project and Longford Community Resources. So it would appear that the Department has given a little and taken a lot. Did the Minister really think that the announcement of a small donation would cloud the greater issue of this extraordinary cutback?

As the festive season of Easter approaches, I hope the Minister will reconsider his decision and give back to Longford Community Resources what it deserves. This money was promised and community initiatives are waiting to be developed. We must acknowledge the great voluntary contribution made by members of many committees throughout the county and I do not want to see their efforts dashed. I appeal to the Minister, on behalf of all Longford people, to rescind this decision if at all possible.