Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I hear what the Minister of State is saying. I have worked in the middle of all of this. In the context of interagency co-operation and the work that can be done, what is needed is a family resource centre. I welcome the fact that a support worker will be in place but it is not enough. However, that is not adequate to replace the community development project and the extra family support that is needed in the area.The Minister of State will know there has been severe tragedy across that area in recent years and even in the last number of months. These services are desperately needed. I will contact the Minister, Deputy Zappone, separately but I ask the Minister of State to ask her about this.

There are exceptional needs in this area which will not be covered in the local needs analysis. There will be lives lost in three years. The quality of life in those three years for people who desperately need the services which could be provided through a family resource centre will not be improved. That really concerns me. We have all these headline figures. We need to get down to these people who are extremely vulnerable. Time is of the essence in doing so. I will write to the Minister separately to ask her to consider Erris on an exceptional needs basis. I do not want to get caught up in an audit. The deprivation figures speak for themselves. This has the backing of all of the statutory agencies, which do not do things like this lightly, because they know the need. Some of them are working in the area and people who they work with in their teams have to travel out to the Erris area. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Minister of State, but this is just the beginning of the fight for a family resource centre in Erris.