Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is more than welcome. I appreciate her attendance her. This morning I raise the significant issue that has emerged with CoAction in west Cork in the last ten days. I know the Minister of State's office has been made aware of it. This is the significant issue in terms of what is happening to the services CoAction provides locally in west Cork. It pertains to the plans for Bayview House, which is to be renovated, and how that is to be moved forward. The proposal, which has been brought forward, is that it will use the child and family centre, which is a purpose-built family centre that cost €1.3 million, the majority of which was fundraised locally, on a permanent basis. The residents of Bayview House will be relocated to that site on a permanent basis. It has created a ferocious furore in west Cork, and rightly so. People depend on the services that are provided in this wonderful complex on a daily basis. They fundraised for it and it is a part of their community. It is a purpose-built building that cost €1.3 million and now it going to be renovated so that it can be changed for another use. That will cost another considerable sum of money.

There is a knock-on implication. There are several complexes, including two buildings in Castletownbere, which are idle at the moment. They can be part of the solution. There is great disappointment with the communication between the CEO and board of CoAction and the residents. We have had a week of no information. The only significant information the residents got was from a Gaeltacht programme yesterday which featured the CEO and a patron of the services. That created a ferocious furore because there are users who are Irish speakers, but some are not. They find it hard to get the information back and have it translated. There are major issues with communication. The board and CEO of CoAction need to communicate with patrons of the service. That communication has not happened in the past ten days. An AGM to which I was not invited was held in Skibbereen last week. The information came out before and during the AGM. We learned of the knock-on implications a week later but there has been no communication from the board. We need clarity. The Minister of State knows better than I do that parents whose children need these services are to the pin of their collar. Any change in services is a huge issue for them. The lack of interaction and understanding and the failure to provide the support they require feed the rumour mill. For this reason, people in west Cork do not have clarity about the next step.

I am delighted the Minister of State came on short notice to the Chamber to discuss this issue. I am aware there are several people watching because it is such a significant issue. The Minister of State's party colleague, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, has been very strong on this issue. As a Government, we have been doing our best to provide these services but we need information and clarity. The Minister of State's intervention this morning is very much welcomed.