First of all, I should like to thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me permission to raise this important matter tonight. It is, indeed, very important. I learned with regret late this morning about the proposed closure of Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre in Killorglin as from 1 March.
The history of this project is very interesting party because it is shortlived but, secondly, because it is a most interesting project. This outdoor education pursuits centre was constructed and organised mainly through the Kerry VEC and by various voluntary organisations primarily in the Killorglin area of County Kerry. I understand that the Department of Education invested capital to the tune of £116,000 in respect of this education centre. It is the only outdoor pursuits centre of its kind in Kerry. Thousands of young people, including students and adults from areas throughout the whole country, avail of the tremendous amenities attached to the centre.
Early in 1985, I understand that Deputy George Birmingham, Minister of State at the Department of Education and the Department of Labour gave a firm commitment to the board of management of Cappanalea and to the County Kerry VEC that the project would be supported financially for three years by the State at £30,000 per annum for 1985, 1986 and 1987. I also understand that this proposal was to be funded mainly out of the Teamwork funding scheme for the staff. This Teamwork funding for the staff has now been cut off suddenly and the Kerry VEC have no alternative but to close down the centre on 28 February.
I understand that the CEO received a letter yesterday morning from the Department of Labour, and from the Department of Education this morning, stating that financial aid was being withdrawn. The County Kerry VEC and the board of management of Cappanalea feel very much let down by the Department of Education and by the Department of Labour and, indeed, by the Government. Six persons are employed on this scheme. It will cost £600 per week to run the enterprise without the Teamwork funding scheme. County Kerry VEC cannot possibly afford a loss of anything near this, to say the least. I am a member of the County Kerry VEC and I am also a member of the board of management of Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre and I have a very special interest in this project because of the very nature of the project and because of the section of the community for which it caters, mainly and primarily our young people, particularly teenagers who came from far and near to avail of the training services in this centre.
I understand that a suggestion has been made by some Government Departments to the County Kerry VEC that the social employment scheme fund should be availed of to finance this project from now onwards. I am sure the Minister of State will realise that this scheme is not suitable for the payment of the staff employed in the Cappanalea outdoor pursuit centre because, first of all, the employment scheme is confined to persons over 25 years of age who have been in receipt of unemployment assistance for at least 12 months. Having regard to the names which will be supplied to the board of management by the National Manpower Service and in particular the local employment exchange office, it is felt generally that these persons would require quite an amount of training to enable them to operate the centre as satisfactorily as it is being operated at present with skilled staff. Again, under this social employment scheme, the employees can work only two and a half days per week or five half days per week so there would not be continuity of employment, continuity of service as far as the employees are concerned and as far as the operation of this whole scheme is concerned.
Furthermore, should this project fail, it would be a big loss to Killorglin town and to its business sector. It would also be a big loss to the education and well being of the students in the south west of the county. This scheme is financed more or less by way of £32,000 collected annually in fees and charges, £99,500 in respect of equipment by the Department of Education and then £30,000 to support that from the Department of Labour. You can see, therefore, that the £30,000 grant will not be forthcoming this year. It is also important to note that the County Kerry VEC are not permitted to finance this project themselves out of their own fund. What we really want from the Department of Labour and the Department of Education is a replacement cost grant of £30,000 to continue this scheme. All the schemes would be operated by the County Kerry VEC. The Department asked recently for a scheme to be prepared by the VEC and the board of management in respect of Cappanalea which would benefit North-South relations as far as the youth of this island are concerned through the promotion of excursions to the south, to Killorglin and Cappanalea. In view of the correspondence from the Department of Education and the Department of Labour within the past few days to the County Kerry VEC, it looks as if this whole proposal is being set aside as well. I should like to get the views of the Minister of State on that aspect of the case in view of the decision to withdraw from this scheme.
Again, I want to point out to the Minister how unsuitable the social employment scheme is for employing the category of persons required to operate a scheme like this successfully where continuity of service is essential. I ask the Minister of State to view this in a very sympathetic fashion and to negotiate for the continuation of this grant of £30,000 for the remainder of 1986 and also for 1987 and fulfil the commitments given by Deputy G. Birmingham when he was Minister of State at the Department of Education and at the Department of Labour.
