Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise an issue in respect of the Dormant Accounts Fund and welcome the announcement by the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, of the allocation of €1.2 million to upgrade eight volunteer information services to full volunteer centres. I have a particular interest in this because Roscommon is one of the locations that will be upgraded to a full volunteer centre, which is important.

Pobal was before the Joint Committee on Rural and Community Development recently and much of the discussion was about ensuring we support volunteers to get involved and support them in the face of challenges around governance, the importance of promoting best practice and challenges around paperwork and making applications. It is extremely positive that €1.2 million is being allocated to eight centres across the country, Roscommon being one, because, without volunteers, many community facilities, services and activities would not happen. We need to support the volunteers that we have and try and encourage more to get involved.

When will this funding be available to the eight centres and what will be allocated for each of them?