Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to raise the issue of the funding available for sports facilities at Collinstown, Clondalkin and Palmerstown. There are four other community facilities affected by the developments of recent weeks and months. I welcome the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, to the House. Will he outline how these facilities and community-based centres will be funded? It appears the dormant accounts funding which was financing these centres effectively has run out.

As the Minister is aware, these facilities are used by thousands of young children who attend various groups and sports in the halls. These facilities are vital for the community and very much part of community life. The recent developments are of great concern and there have been many meetings to discuss what will happen. The sports facilities at Collinstown and Palmerstown are excellent and widely used community facilities that have been of significant benefit to the community. There is great concern that they may not be able to continue in the present format because the funding has dried up with no alternative funding mechanism in place.

I understand there have been some discussions between the local council, the vocational education committee and the Department. The community, the staff involved in running the centres and the users wish to know the breakdown between those three groups if there is to be agreement on funding. Will the funding be the same as before? Will the same number of staff be employed in these centres? Will the same number of community groups be able to use the facilities? Those in the community do not mind from where the funding comes so long as there is funding for these excellent community facilities which have developed and grown significantly since they were established. People wish to continue using them.

The north Clondalkin community service has held several public meetings attended by hundreds of people. These are lively facilities used by everyone in the communities involved. I hope the Minister can clarify what will happen in respect of the funding, whether the sports facilities can continue to be used, whether the staff will continue to be employed, if the funding is secure, and if there has been agreement between the various bodies which can provide funding so that the centres may remain open given that the dormant accounts funding has ended.