Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment. I have not been speaking to him in a public forum since his appointment. I am delighted for him and to see him. Regarding this Commencement matter, I compliment him on how quick he was out of the traps in his response to the major crisis that was created by Storm Éowyn. I am always conscious when saying the name of that storm whether I am pronouncing it correctly.

I am asking for a dedicated funding source towards the purchase of generators for community groups that have community halls, or even GAA clubs that have centres. During our experience of this storm, it was seen how important it was to have those hubs within communities for people to go to. Even if it was only to charge devices or to boil a kettle and get a hot drink, they were vitally important. That situation was not one those groups would have consciously prepared for in the past. When such clubs are doing grant applications, a generator would not or ever have been on the priority list. I know as somebody who is involved in the GAA and other community groups, the majority of centres that would be most suitable for similar situations going forward are up to their proverbial tonsils in debt. They owe banks money as part of the matching funding for the many good grants they would have received for different facilities in their areas. They would never have prioritised or even considered getting electricity generators as part of the projects. We are aware that was the worst and most devastating storm this country has ever witnessed. There is no guarantee there will not be similar storms, possibly even in the immediate future. With that in mind, it is important there is some mechanism of grant aid for generators in at least one community facility in every immediate locality. That is my request, which has come to me from people who are activists, who are involved in community groups, and are prepared to go that extra step but are already up to their proverbial tonsils in debt with their particular community centre or pavilion.