Seanad debates
Wednesday, 21 May 2003
Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). - Third Level Fees: Motion.
Yesterday, I told the Minister about my recent experience when I visited two marvellous institutions in my part of the city. I attended a debate at Larkin College, Champions Avenue, an area blighted by drugs while the previous day I read stories to six, seven and eight year old children in the Central School, Marlborough Street. They are participants in the Breaking the Cycle programme. It should be called the break your hearts programme because, in an area of absolute deprivation, it only takes children up to the second year of primary school. These wonderful children, beautifully dressed, immaculate, polite, intelligent and curious will, within a period of approximately 18 months, be dumped on the pavements of a very harsh city, where their role models will be the crack and heroin dealers in the big cars and motorcycles. If they were given a different role model, it would have a huge impact on the part of the city in which I live and on many similar areas around the country. Most have unemployed or absent fathers, or single parents. The couple of decent community gardaĆ who put their effort into the area provide them with a kind of male role model.
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