We can be sure that the many worthwhile organisations which are already doing excellent work with little or no encouragement in this activity will be constantly at the door of An Chomhairle Oiliúna seeking assistance, advice and financial help to improve what they are already doing and to extend that kind of work. There is no need to fear that this phrase or any other provisions in the Bill will be only so many empty formulae. They will be used constantly once the power is given and it is important that we extend this description as it were, lest there be any doubt on the part of An Chomhairle Oiliúna as to whether they had power to assist and what the scope of their assistance should be.
But it does help to highlight a problem which faces those people who are already giving excellent training facilities for the disadvantaged, that is, that at present they are obliged to consult with many Government Departments, many State agencies and many other voluntary agencies in order to get a little done. As a result, they waste a great deal of time and energy in carrying on these negotiations. They might be in a better position to assist the disadvantaged if they were able to concentrate directly on the work and not have to engage in so much negotiation. It is admirable that we are extending the help which society—and by that term I mean to involve everybody—will give to these people but we are also at the same time obliging them to consult with yet another Government Department, the Department of Labour, or the child of the Department of Labour, An Chomhairle Oiliúna. It helps to support the argument that we in the Fine Gael Benches have been making for a considerable time that there should be one statutory body dealing with the disadvantaged in our population so that each charitable body or organisation would not be obliged to spend week after week in a series of negotiations with different Government Departments in order to get a little done.
However, that is perhaps another day's work but we should not fail to take cognisance of that problem at present, that while we are helping, we are nevertheless imposing an obligation on these organisations to consult with another organisation before help will be forthcoming.