Cluain centre funding
Deputy McGrath asked for secure, continuing funding for Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel from mental health and disability budgets. The Minister of State praised the centre and said officials had been asked to work together on next steps.
I am glad to see the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is here. Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel is a wonderful institution for young and old but mainly for adults. It has pottery-making facilities, a workshop that repairs tools and many areas of art and design. It is a fabulous centre for young people and I congratulate the board, under Seamus Leahy and Gerry Flynn. They are brilliant people. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was good enough to visit recently. We need to have secure and continuing funding for the centre from the mental health and disability budgets. We need a dual or hybrid model to secure this centre. It has been there for decades. Many of the participants suffer from mental health issues and they get great solace from this great outlet. The Minister of State saw this when she met people there and engaged, and I thank her for it. We hope to have a dual funding model that will be secure. The board is doing its best and it needs support.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue and for attending the Cluain adult training centre with me and Councillor Siobhán Ambrose a few weeks ago. It is an excellent facility which provides a range of services for those with disabilities, acquired brain injuries and mental health challenges. It supports people who might fall between the cracks otherwise. I was very impressed by the fact that the centre identifies the needs of trainees and tailors the supports to suit them. I have asked mental health officials to engage with the disability officials who attended on the day to come up with a comprehensive plan. We will try to work out a service level agreement. I understand the majority of the funding is being provided through the disability budget but the mental health budget also must step up and I am committed to doing so. I will keep Deputy McGrath up to date on developments.