REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE VISIT TO O’MALLEY PARK AFTERSCHOOLS CLUB SOUTHILL
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE VISIT TO O’MALLEY PARK AFTERSCHOOLS CLUB SOUTHILL, LIMERICK 26 FEBRUARY, 1999
I have great pleasure in being here today to see at first hand the valuable work being done by the residents and voluntary workers of O’Malley Park.
In recent years, we have been fortunate to experience growth and prosperity in Ireland on a scale unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet we can only judge ourselves to be a success as a nation if all members of our society are enabled to share the opportunities that prosperity has brought.
Those values that served us so well in the past – generosity of spirit, concern for others, sharing and caring – are more vital than ever if we are to create a society that we can be truly proud of – a society in which there is equality of opportunity for all our children, for all members of our community.
This must be our goal, the destination of all our energies. This generation is the closest to making it a reality, but there is still a distance to travel. It will not happen by chance, but it can happen if we have the determination, the commitment, the belief that nothing is impossible if we refuse to give up.
If we want to have real equality of opportunity, we must start with the young, with the children who still possess the exuberance, energy and hope of youth. These are gifts that are all too easily knocked out of them, sometimes from a frighteningly early age. We have a responsibility to see that doesn’t happen, that we nurture in them the self-belief and self-confidence required for them to develop their talents to the full.
That is why the After-school club is so important. It provides a supportive environment for homework, which in itself is essential for ensuring that these children have equal opportunities on the education front. More importantly it addresses the wider needs of each child by providing activities such as arts and crafts, swimming, attending pantomimes and going on day trips.
Disadvantage and poverty are often assessed in terms of income. Yet it is exclusion from the activities and experiences that other children take for granted that is one of the most insidious and damaging aspects of disadvantage. The After-school club has already achieved so much in helping children in the area to enjoy new experiences and to learn how much they are capable of. The fact that other estates in the Southill area have already asked for assistance in setting up a similar service, is proof of how successful it has been. It is a facility which I have no doubt will pay dividends in the future and I commend and congratulate everyone who has been involved in its development, including Mary Sheehan, Betty Fitzgerald and Caroline Power.
The After-school club is just one indication of the extraordinary response that you, the people of O’Malley Park, have made to the difficulties you face. I know a lot of effort and dedication has gone into the development of the Community and Family Resource Centre. The value of the Centre is not just in the very real help it provides to people in the area – but also because it is tangible proof that communities such as yours can help themselves. They need not be the passive recipients of assistance determined by others. You know what you need and you are best placed to decide how to address those needs, in partnership with the statutory bodies, local authorities and other community groups.
This principle of partnership is essential if the full potential of community development is to be realised. It is a slow and difficult process, but you have already shown that you are capable of succeeding. The most important thing is never to lose hope, never to lose the belief that it is possible to change lives for the better, to inspire hope in others and to create a community that all its people can be proud of.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you well in all your future endeavours, particularly the proposed new Community Centre. I have no doubt that it will provide a wonderful focal point for existing groups to come together and pool their energy, ideas and resources for the benefit of all.