Conor D McGuinness presses ministers for Dungarvan community centre
Conor D McGuinness raised the plight of the Daisha Women's Shed in Dungarvan, warning that a lack of local facilities is limiting recruitment and activities. He urged the ministers to facilitate and speed the development of a community centre to provide a permanent home for the Women's Shed.
Conor D McGuinness told the house that the Daisha Women's Shed in Dungarvan is one of the first women's sheds in the state, alongside the shed in Nays and in Middleton in East Cork. He underlined the social, health and personal development benefits these social spaces deliver and said facilities and space would be key recommendations in an upcoming work plan and facilitator's report.
He detailed the local shortage of provision in Dungarvan - no community centre for a town of its size and no family resource centre - which he said imposes a huge limitation on space available to community organisations. That shortage, he said, is directly impacting the Women's Shed's ability to recruit and retain members and to carry out planned activities.
Conor D McGuinness called on the ministers to do all they can to help facilitate and speed the process of developing a community centre for Dungarvan, describing it as a necessary home for the Women's Shed. His appeal sought urgent action to address the space constraints affecting community groups in the town.
A minister responded that there has been significant engagement and progress, noting record investment in community by government over the past decade and a commitment to fill deficits where they exist. The minister said further investment in community initiatives, including LEP and other supports, is expected in the coming weeks and months, and pledged to work on proper governance, administrative structures and funding for Women's Sheds.
Issue raised
Conor D McGuinness told the house that the Daisha Women's Shed in Dungarvan is one of the first women's sheds in the state, alongside the shed in Nays and in Middleton in East Cork. He underlined the social, health and personal development benefits these social spaces deliver and said facilities and space would be key recommendations in an upcoming work plan and facilitator's report.
Local impact
He detailed the local shortage of provision in Dungarvan - no community centre for a town of its size and no family resource centre - which he said imposes a huge limitation on space available to community organisations. That shortage, he said, is directly impacting the Women's Shed's ability to recruit and retain members and to carry out planned activities.
Request to ministers
Conor D McGuinness called on the ministers to do all they can to help facilitate and speed the process of developing a community centre for Dungarvan, describing it as a necessary home for the Women's Shed. His appeal sought urgent action to address the space constraints affecting community groups in the town.
Government response
A minister responded that there has been significant engagement and progress, noting record investment in community by government over the past decade and a commitment to fill deficits where they exist. The minister said further investment in community initiatives, including LEP and other supports, is expected in the coming weeks and months, and pledged to work on proper governance, administrative structures and funding for Women's Sheds.
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Transcript
Minister, I know you are aware of the Daisha Women's Shed in Dungarvan. I believe you have met some of their representatives probably several times at this point. They are amongst one of the first women's sheds in the state, I think alongside the shed in Nays and indeed in Middleton in East Cork. We all know and recognise the social, the health benefits, the personal development benefits that come from these wonderful social spaces. And not to pre-empt the results of the work plan and the facilitator's report, but I think that facilities and space are going to be key recommendations in it and I know you are aware of the situation in Dungarvan. No community centre for a town of its size, no family resource centre, a huge limitation on space available to all sorts of community organisations and it is really impacting the ability of the Women's Shed in particular to recruit and retain members to to conduct all the activities that they would like to conduct. It is limiting the community centre for Dungarvan. I just want to mention it here again today and ask both Minister Cleary and Minister Budimer to do all that you can to help facilitate and speed the process of developing a community centre for Dungarvan, a home for the Women's Shed. Thank you Minister. Can I thank both deputies for raising the matter and again, there has been significant engagement, progress is being made and I suppose the most important point is that and if we didn't, you would be both coming in here with a different set of questions in terms of governments, in terms of structures, in terms of the appropriate of that. I suppose Deputy McGuinness, we have seen record investment in community by government over the past decade. There are deficits in some places and we will walk to fill those deficits as you know. Board Minister Cleary are very much committed to the enhancement and the support of local community organisations because our country is a better place by the strength of the voluntary and of the community endeavour that we have and I think that you will see in the coming weeks and months again further investment by us as a government in terms of LEP, in terms of other community initiatives. But we are as a department very much aware of the benefits of Women's Sheds to communities, very much aware of the importance of and we will together work to ensure that we have an appropriate and proper governance, administrative structure and funding to Women's Sheds. Thank you Minister.