Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raise the Donore Avenue community centre which was badly damaged by fire last week. I will not speculate on the causes of the fire but it is essential that the Department ensures that funding is made available for this community centre to be restored. It is right beside St. Theresa's Gardens where regeneration is happening. It is an essential community centre in a very disadvantaged part of the inner city, which helps people from young to old, those at risk of leaving school early, the old folks groups and the majorettes. It is essential that it be brought back to use as soon as possible. I have previously raised how housing and regeneration projects are built without the Department making available community infrastructure to support it. This is a real opportunity for the Department to put its money where its mouth is and fund the restoration of what is a great community centre. That whole area will be regenerated and built on in coming years.

There is speculation and reports that indoor dining will be delayed for those who are not yet vaccinated. When I think of Ireland, I often think of how much we scapegoat our young people, particularly during this pandemic, in public discourse. It ranges from socialising outdoors to claiming the PUP without previously working enough hours. Now it looks as though we are penalising young people for not being vaccinated.

It is important that we maintain the social solidarity we have had over the last year and a half. We were all in this together. Young people had their lives up-ended, whether it was in regard to how the leaving certificate was conducted or those who went on to third level not enjoying the first year. It would be bad faith for there to be a two-tier reopening of society just because younger people have not yet been reached in the vaccination programme. I have no problem with a two-tier approach for people who choose not to be vaccinated.However, I have a problem when a whole cohort for vaccination has not been reached. We are saying they can serve people, they can get Covid but they cannot dine indoors. We need to be careful about the message that sends to our younger people who have had their lives upended and have been scapegoated by many sections of the media and some other people during the past year for doing the normal things young people do.