The Junior Minister with special responsibility for Integration and Community John Curran visited Kilkenny last week to meet with the organisers and children of local community projects.
The people of Loughboy Area Resource Centre welcomed the minister with open arms but they also highlighted the consequences of the lack of funding to the centre.
The manager of LARC, Sheila Cantwell, chairperson, Charlotte Beattie, along with parents and children attending the centre were in attendance for the minister’s visit where he heard that the shortcoming in funding was curbing the plans for the children of the area and for further investment in community projects such as community childcare and youth services.
She asked the minister if he could offer a timeframe when the budget might be able to include these services, however, he was unable to give any commitment to the centre for the future of the stated projects.
The LARC centre offers, pre-school services, a parent and toddler group and after school services and the minister was guided through the centre to witness the work of the groups in action. The younger members sang for him and Minister Curran was presented with a copy of The Stripy Men by the late Joe Cody on the history of hurling in Kilkenny.
