Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the regeneration scheme in Sligo. Cranmore is the biggest public housing estate in Sligo. A really successful regeneration project has been happening since the money was granted in 2016. It is the biggest retrofitting and regeneration of any area in the north west. To date, over 350 houses have been retrofitted. This has completely changed the whole landscape of the estate. Morale has improved and the whole area feels safer.

Part of the original plan was for a community centre to form part of the centre block, as it is called locally. The community centre would be made up of the different organisations working in the community in Cranmore. At present there are three different community groups working there. Sligo Springboard Family Support Service works with small children and young people. It is Tusla funded and its work is targeted to the most marginalised young people. Another group, called the Cranmore Abbeyquarter Community Centre, is run by a community employment scheme. Another one is Cranmore Community Co-operative which was set up as part of the regeneration programme.

They all work together in tandem. They all have particular skill sets. There are professional community development workers, early years workers and family support workers but the budget for the centre block is falling short. Sligo Springboard Family Support Service wrote a letter to the Minister for housing on 26 January to see if the budget for the centre block could be increased to ensure these three organisations are housed in it. It is really important that this happens. The response we received was that it was not the responsibility of the Minister for housing, even though regeneration comes under the housing brief, and we were redirected to the community centres investment fund at the Department of community development.I urge the Minister for housing to look at this. We all know that, throughout this scheme, the cost of building materials has increased, which was adjusted accordingly for the regeneration of the houses. I ask that it be adjusted to ensure that these three essential services are housed within the centre block and that this wonderful initiative does not fall at the final hurdle.