Cairns visits Trim Family Resource Centre
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns was in Trim today, where she visited the Trim Family Resource centre and met with the party’s two Meath local election candidates, Cllr Ronan Moore and Paul Nolan.
“It is so heartening to learn of the fantastic work being carried out by the Family Resource Centre in Trim and hear about the range of vital services they provide within the local community." she said. "However, it is deeply frustrating that their efforts are often hampered by a lack of Government funding – despite them picking up the slack to compensate for a deficit in State services.
"It is amazing to see the work they are doing on the ground. They are a vital resurce and it is organisations like these that are at the heart of the community," she said.
“This is a time of growth for the Social Democrats and I am so encouraged to have strong candidates like Ronan and Paul standing for the party in Meath.
“Ronan already has an outstanding track record as a hardworking public representative, and I am hopeful he will be re-elected and that Paul will join him on Meath County Council after the local elections on June 7.”
Paul Nolan, who is standing for the party in Ashbourne, said: “The political landscape needs to change in Ireland, both at local and national level. Under Holly’s leadership, I believe the Social Democrats can deliver for all of our citizens, particularly in areas that have been so badly neglected by this Government, such as housing and health.
“In Ashbourne, we have a population of just under 16,000 people, yet the area does not have the infrastructure or public amenities to cater for this growth. When it comes to public services such as transport and parks, quite simply, Ashbourne has been left behind.
“I am very grateful that Holly has taken the time to visit Meath today and I welcome the opportunity to discuss these important local issues with her.”
Ronan, who is running again for the Social Democrats in the Trim LEA, said: “Today I had an opportunity to welcome Holly to the Trim Family Resource Centre, which serves Trim and all of south Meath. "Having spent the last seven years on their board, including three as chair, I have witnessed first-hand the amazing work that FRCs do in addressing issues of social exclusion and poverty, in addition to fostering an understanding of family and community development within the community.
“However, the Family Resource Centre network faces myriad challenges, including chronic underfunding, despite the growing demand for its services. For instance, Trim FRC has a shortfall in the annual funding needed to maintain its low-cost counselling and play therapy service, which is crucial for adults and children who would otherwise wait months and years to access affordable counselling.
“Meanwhile, our food bank service, which redistributed over 19,000kg of surplus food to families last year, is struggling to make ends meet.
“I am delighted that Holly got to meet our coordinator Justyna Doherty and other Trim FRC staff today. This allowed her to witness their amazing work and learn about the obstacles they must constantly overcome.
“All of this ties into a wider point that Holly and I are concerned about – that services which are ultimately the responsibility of the State are being chronically underfunded year-on-year during a time of great need.”