12. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on the development of the new strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland for 2026-2030 and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8241/26]
Sentiment score: 0.14
Could the Minister provide an update on the development of the new strategy to support the community and voluntary sector 2026 to 2030? When we talk about the community and voluntary sector, that takes in a whole range of things. I am talking about everything from Muirhevnamor Community Centre through to the family resource centre, FRC, that was set up in Dundalk Counselling Centre. I hope another one will be set up in the Redeemer Centre. We know the work that is done and the support that is necessary.
Sentiment score: 0.25
I appreciate the timeline with the caveats the Minister of State provided. The element of engagement with the stakeholders is all very well and good but it is a matter of actually putting a plan in place and then operating it. Like any plan, it will be up for and will need review. We were talking about sustainability. We have all dealt with individual projects from time to time when the pressure is on. I had a meeting with Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland, SERI, which represents social enterprises. It would talk about the fact that sometimes social enterprises can fall by the wayside. We know we need to make sure that those operating, particularly in what would have been called RAPID or DEIS areas, are given support. We know about for family resource centres. I would have heard about the issues when we talk of whole-of-government. The idea would be that certain grant aid could be provided by enterprise, which is not necessarily available to social enterprises. I think they would speak about a number of milestones in relation to them that are needed but have not happened yet. Will the Minister of State comment on that?
Sentiment score: 0.18
We all engage with the community and voluntary sector on a daily basis. Generally that is on the basis that these people can deal with some of the issues that sometimes one cannot get deal with the State agencies, particularly when we are dealing with more complex issues in communities - everything from addiction to mental health services and the supports that are required. I mention the likes of The House, the Redeemer Centre, Muirhevnamor Community Centre and Cuidigh Linn but I would also mention Creative Spark, Kilcurry Resource Centre and Haggardstown and Blackrock Community Centre. Some of these centres face incredible difficulties surviving. They fit into different brackets. When we talk about this policy and implementation, it is good to see there is a timeline but when we talk about the social enterprise policy, as I stated, there have been a number of milestones that have been missed and that needs to be looked at. With regard to the national procurement strategy that is being looked at, there might be the possibility there of something that can be somewhat more sustainable. There is that idea of seed funding that makes social enterprises sustainable. I know that is only one small part but it is just on the basis that I spoke to Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland, SERI, lately.
Sentiment score: 0.20
That is what we need.
Sentiment score: 0.00
77. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the recent engagement her Department and the Government has had with the European Union and the EU Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8653/26]
Sentiment score: 0.16
The question relates to governmental engagements with the European Union and the European Commission. I was at the committee during the week when we met with Commissioners Hansen and Serafin. I will ask specifically about Mercosur. We can have an argument about how strong the Government was in its opposition to it but what the Commissioners said was that it is within the EU's gambit, if it wants, to allow for provisional application of Mercosur. We know the huge issues there are, particularly from the farming sector and beyond, about Brazilian beef and other issues. What will the Government do from the point of view of ensuring there is not provisional application? We await the outworkings of the Court of Justice.
Sentiment score: 0.25
We do not have time to get into arguments about what the Irish Government could have done to oppose the Mercosur trade deal, which is a lot more. The fact is - we heard it from the commissioners recently - that the Commission can allow for the provisional application of the Mercosur deal, which would undermine democracy and the vote that already happened in the European Parliament. We need to ensure this does not happen. There are huge worries about Brazilian beef and poultry, that is not up to the same standard as European, and particularly Irish, farm produce. There is a particular issue in Bord Bia around this at the moment. What will the Government do to ensure there is no provisional application of the Mercosur trade agreement at this time? It would be utterly unacceptable to Irish farmers and the Irish people.
Sentiment score: -0.03