85. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total amount of funding allocated to the social inclusion and community activation programme in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38272/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

The issue in relation to funding is about people living in disadvantaged communities, supporting people with disabilities and people with a criminal record who, as a result, have difficulty finding employment. I am concerned that there is a lack of structure for people discharged from our prisons in accommodation and in trying to get them back into the system. Will more work be done in that area? It needs to be done first when they are physically in prison, with co-ordination of their plan for when they get out. According to the records, on the north side of Cork city in particular, there are people whose only home in real terms is prison. While it is a small number of people, it is important. We need to do more in that area. Are there proposals to deal with that issue?

Sentiment score: -0.22

It is interesting the Minister of State mentioned the Glen Resource Centre. I have been involved going back to 1996 when there was nothing at all there. We got funding from Europe to start the centre. There are now 80 organisations using the centre. It is a fantastic development with fantastic staff. All of the organisations there are working hard, providing a good service for the community. Coming back to the issue, as we come into the winter months, people will offend because they have nowhere to go. The whole idea is they will end up in prison for the winter months. There is a problem in our prisons with inadequate accommodation. We should seriously look at how to help these people when they are in prison. We need to get community groups working with them at an early stage when they come back out. I ask for that issue be worked on over the next 12 to 18 months.

Sentiment score: -0.02