Minister officially reopens Sarsfield community centre

The sun was shining on Monday morning when Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald arrived in Athlone to officially open St Brendan's Community Centre in Sarsfield Square. Secretary of the committee Joe Dowling welcomed Minister Fitzgerald to the centre, saying the centre had been planned for a long time, with residents in the area first working on the plan in the 1970s and he mentioned, in particular, Nancy Curley, who was a member of the original committee and was present at the official opening on Monday. He said the project to reopen and refurbish the centre began in 2004, but he had only become involved in 2009 and he paid tribute to his father Michael Dowling who had been chairman at the time, as well as Sandra O'Neill, the current chairwoman. He said funding for the reopening of the centre had come from a variety of forms, including the HSE, POBAL, Athlone Town Council, Athlone Community Services and RAPID. Mr Dowling said the centre is now used by youth clubs, a women's group, a parent and toddler group, houses a creche and also is used by the three football teams in the area. Mayor of Athlone Alan Shaw said it was great to see so many activities taking place at the community centre and said the level of activity and the number of groups availing of the facility bodes well for the future of the centre and added that the community will grow and develop with the centre. He complemented the treasurer on the fundraising initiatives that had been taken to help raise money for the centre, and also the community for their support in this regard. He added if there was anything he could do, as mayor, to help with the centre he would be happy to do so. Minister Fitzgerald said it was great to be invited to a celebration first thing on a Monday morning and said she was delighted to have been invited by Deputy Nicky McFadden to officially open the centre. She said she was happy to see so many local councillors present and said political support was very important for local projects, such as St Brendan's Community Centre. Minister Fitzgerald said it was great to see such community spirit in the area and paid tribute to Michael Dowling as past chairman of the committee and also to Sandra O'Neill. She said a lot of hard work had gone into turning the centre around and getting it to where it was today. Commenting that it was great to see a women's group using the centre, she said while a lot has been done for women in communities around the country, there was a lot to be done for men in the community. Speaking about the childcare facilities at the centre, Minister Fitzgerald said: "As Minister for Children I am delighted to see the service here. Early intervention and support can make the difference." She added that at a recent conference she had learned that three hours of targeted work with children a day can make a huge difference to the child in their later years, where they get more out of their education and tend to stay away from drugs. "It's a real lesson on how to help young people," she said, adding that her Department supports the free preschool year for children aged between three and four, with 95% of parents taking it up. "I would like to have a second year, or at least a second year for children with special needs." She said €175m a year is spent on the scheme and the population is growing. Minister Fitzgerald added that while there has been a lot of talk about referenda, and in particular the European referendum, which is coming up, she wanted to talk about the Referendum for Children, which will be held later this year, and called on people to support it, saying it would give a voice to children in the constitution. She said the committee had done a great job in bringing the centre to where it is and, declaring it officially open, she wished them well in the future.