The Minister mentioned the Coolock Community Law Centre in the course of his reply. Will the Minister repeat what he said about that because I did not catch it in the reply? What is the position in regard to this centre and about providing an adequate level of funding for it?

(Limerick East): In considering the terms of the civil legal aid scheme the Government decided that payments to voluntary bodies providing a legal service should cease when the State scheme was introduced. When the State scheme came into operation in August 1980 FLAC announced the closure of 15 part time centres. The Coolock Community Law Centre announced that it was continuing in operation and received a final grant in 1982. It was made a specific condition on paying that grant that it was the final one payable by the Minister for Justice. Then a submission was made to the Minister for Social Welfare, and his Department have been funding the Coolock centre since 1983. There is no intention by that Department to discontinue the help to the Coolock Community Centre which does such excellent work but whose work is of a wider nature than the facilities supplied by the law centres.

I recommend this centre to the Minister for favourable consideration. It is a very distinct type of operation. It does enormous good and provides a very beneficial service.

A question, Deputy.

Is the Minister aware that it provides a very beneficial service and that its position is very unsatisfactory as there is no certainty about it? Is the Minister aware that this centre must exist from year to year hoping that it will continue to get funds and that it was really only as an ad hoc emergency measure that I, as Minister for Social Welfare, provided this aid for the centre?

The Deputy must ask a question.

Would the Minister not agree that the time has now come to take this law centre under the aegis of the Minister for Justice, fund it properly and end the uncertainty that the people running the centre have to face from year to year?

(Limerick East): I am responsible for the funding of the centres that operate under the civil Legal Aid Board. A decision was taken by the previous administration in 1980 that contributions to voluntary bodies should end once the Legal Aid Board scheme was set up but funding was continued to Coolock for a number of years up to 1983. Then it passed to the Minister for Social Welfare from the Minister for Justice. The Minister intends to provide funds again this year. I agree with Deputy Haughey that they are providing a very good service. There is also a provision in paragraph 632 of the Legal Aid Board's scheme whereby the board can aid centres that have a community involvement. That would be another avenue worth exploring.