I thank the Deputy. Our Department's social inclusion and community activation programme is our country’s primary social inclusion programme. SICAP is a national programme delivered locally in both rural and urban areas by local development companies. It supports those in the greatest need to address high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted, locally-led initiatives and approaches. The programme encourages partnerships between people, community organisations, and public sector agencies to address diverse community needs. The current SICAP programme commenced in 2024 and will run until 2028. I thank the Deputy for the work he does in his own area, particularly in Blackpool. He will be aware that there are currently seven local development companies delivering the SICAP programme across the eight contract areas in Cork city, Cork county and the west Cork Islands. While SICAP is a multi-annual funding programme, it is subject to the annual budgetary Estimates process. The total SICAP funding allocations for last year and this year for the seven companies in Cork came to €8,183,430. The Department has also provided additional funding through SICAP since 2022 to local development companies to support Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants. A total of €1.91 million has been allocated to the local development companies in Cork for these supports this year and last year. There has been a positive trend of year-on-year increases in SICAP funding in recent years. The Minister and I are committed to ensuring this continues in line with commitments in the programme for Government.

Sentiment score: 0.28

I thank the Deputy who is right to raise this matter. He has raised it previously. I have asked the Department to examine this issue. The Irish Examiner recently had an interesting profile of the north side of Cork city. It is an issue I am concerned about. We need to have a serious conversation about it. The Glen Resource Centre has a good programme for the families of those in prison. It has held a summer camp in the past few weeks. I am happy to sit down and discuss this with the Deputy because it is an important matter. Despite all the funding, outreach, activities and programmes, there is an issue we are missing somewhere. I commend the Cork City Partnership on its work, particularly in the Mayfield area. I will work with all involved to ensure we look at supports, in particular for those who have left prison to avoid that revolving door. A lot of work is being done. There are success stories but the Deputy is right to highlight the people being missed by the great programmes.

Sentiment score: 0.18

I thank the Deputy for the work he has done. I taught in St. Aidan's Community College; I am familiar with the area. I recognise the issue he has highlighted, despite the great work by a variety of community organisations and mentoring. There is an empowerment piece, training, retraining and engagement between agencies. There are a number of people who re-offend once they leave prison. We have an obligation, duty and responsibility to work with everybody to ensure those people and their families are given that opportunity. If the Deputy has suggestions, I am open to working with everybody to ensure we accomplish the aim he articulated so that we do not miss people. We as a Department and a Government are about tackling many issues in terms of disadvantage and the people in our criminal justice system. There are success stories. People have left prison and made new beginnings. The Glen Resource Centre is an example. I commend the Deputy again on his work on that. It shows that by working with families and children of the men and women involved, we can make it better.

Sentiment score: 0.13

The public library strategy was published in July 2023. It contains 66 actions which will enable our public libraries to become multipurpose social and educational spaces for all members of the community to enjoy. As I said in response to a previous last question, our libraries are now transformed into places of community activity. They are no longer just for reading and studying; there are men's sheds, women's sheds and different varieties of activities going on there. The libraries development committee, comprising representation from members of the Local Government Management Agency, the County and City Management Association, city and county librarians and my Department, is responsible for monitoring the implementation of actions in the strategy. Significant progress has been made to date on the implementation of the strategy. Examples of actions under way are a national skills for life programme of resources and activities which will see 684 events take place throughout the country this year, and the fact that age-friendly recognition has been achieved in every library. The My Open Library service continues to expand and is now available in 55 branches. A national public libraries open day took place this year and almost 1,350 new members were registered. Our Department continues to work with all the local authorities, the LGMA and all other partners and stakeholders to deliver on the ongoing actions. I am delighted to support the strategy with continued investment. Since the launch of the strategy two years ago, our Department has approved expenditure of €28.3 million for libraries, including capital funding. A total of €8.3 million has been spent to date. In this context I would like to acknowledge the financial contributions made by local authorities from their own resources. I would also like to note the financial contributions made by various other stakeholders in the delivery of the strategy. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I are committed to developing the national library strategy.

Sentiment score: 0.22

There is huge merit in those suggestions. I am certainly very open to that. Athy library was mentioned as an example. Birr library is another example. In other parts of the country refurbished buildings are, through a variety of means, being used. Our libraries are now community spaces. They are being used by a variety of people. Our traditional library has changed, thankfully, from a place where you cannot talk, just read, to one where there is an open door for communities. Our Department recognises the importance of public libraries in our communities. It is about community and about people. I recognise the significance of the capital investment. To answer Deputy O'Reilly, I am open to any suggestions because I am a big advocate for libraries. As a member of the local authority, long before I was elected here, I was involved in the Cork city library committee. As the Deputy said, the library is a place for people. It was the only place where people could get educated. They could get books. I remember going to the mobile library as a child and wondering when we would get a library in Bishopstown. I will happily sit down and talk to the Deputies about that. If we can improve the offering for people in communities, why not do it?

Sentiment score: 0.16

In regard to the sensory room issue, I was in Ennis library last week, where there is a sensory space. There was a mum with two kids in the sensory space and their joy and contemplative ease was phenomenal. I commend the staff in Ennis library on that space. It was breathtaking to see the way in which they were able to take a piece of the library floor area and use it for people with autism or other disabilities to go in and be at ease and at peace. I was struck by that. It is about the age-friendly recognition and that community piece. It is about ensuring that, as part of the strategy, we deliver on the 66 actions. It is also about ensuring that our libraries are the focal point for people and for communities. We are blessed with the staff in our libraries. They are wonderful people. I was struck by the local archive and local history sections in a number of libraries I visited in Waterford and Dungarvan. In my own city of Cork we have a wonderful public library and I hope we can transform the central library on Grand Parade in time. We are very fortunate with our library service. It is a jewel in the crown.

Sentiment score: 0.36