REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF THE NORTH
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF THE NORTH
Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo i bhur measc inniu. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as ucht bhur bhfáilte chaoin.
It is my great pleasure to be here with you today to launch the documented history of the North Clondalkin Community Development Programme, marking your tenth anniversary. I would like to thank Noreen Byrne for her kind words of welcome.
Ireland is currently experiencing a prosperity that gives us great pride and growing hope, but there is still a way to go if we are to have real equality of opportunity. Indeed, in some ways the gap between rich and poor can appear to be increasing – as those who are doing well seem to accelerate further ahead and those whose boats are beached remain just out of reach of the tide. We can only judge ourselves to be a success as a nation if all members of our society are enabled to participate as equals in our Society and in the decision-making process, which determine their lives. That simply has to be our goal and I am glad to say that this generation is the closest to realising it.
Projects of this kind demonstrate that community development is not just an empty hope. Neither is real community development simply about improving people’s lives – although of course this is an important aspect. The key reason for the success of programmes like this is that they give the people who need help, the skills, the confidence and self-belief to help themselves. This means they are given a voice with which they can speak for themselves. You, in the NCCDP encourage the various areas in North Clondalkin to pool their considerable knowledge and resources, creating an informed and united mouthpiece for your community. In the words of the poet Dáibhí Ó Bruadair: ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ – there’s no strength without partnership. In your report you mention the difficulties that faced families on arrival in North Clondalkin, having left, for the most part, established working class neighbourhoods in Dublin City. You quote one resident who said: “People are going back to where things are familiar…. We have not developed a sense of identity”. This situation is changing, with the growing trend of owner occupation, families are putting down roots and believe that they have a vested interest in their community. People are now coming home to North Clondalkin.
You have shown that with commitment, dedication and sheer hard work, it is possible to make a real difference in the lives of people in the community. Since you came together just ten years ago, you have established the Clondalkin Centre for the Unemployed, The Christy Melia Community House and the Lone Parents Information Centre. You have participated in the area- based partnerships and have also established courses in Adult Education and Personal Development. Education is the key to unlocking so many doors - our strength and future success is in our people and the education of our people is contributing to the achievements of a whole country. I am also delighted to see the links that have been built up with the Traveller Community. If community development is to mean anything, it must mean that all members of the community are included. It is only through bringing people together, showing respect for difference, that barriers of every description will tumble. I know that you intend to continue unabated to work for the development of North Clondalkin in an organised and all-inclusive manner. I was pleased to learn that your objectives for the future include involvement in the Grand Canal Development Project, and support for women who suffer as a result of violence.
I am both astonished and delighted at how much has already been achieved by the North Clondalkin Community Development Programme. Particular thanks and congratulations are due to John Brennan, Project Leader, and his staff, and to the many statutory and voluntary agencies that have worked tirelessly over the years to get this project established. It is a fitting tribute to enormous numbers of volunteers like yourselves that the year 2001 has been declared by the United Nations as International Year of the Volunteers. I would also like to pay tribute to everyone who has taken part in the training and development activities. I hope that your involvement has given you new hope and faith in your own abilities and skills. I’m quite sure that Christy Melia would have taken just pride in your accomplishments. I’ve been told that his energy and enthusiasm provided the initial spark for this worthwhile project and while other areas have their icons, I know that Christy Melia is considered a folk hero here in the North Clondalkin area. He would wholeheartedly agree with your theme of celebrating all of the positive things that are happening here.
I wish each and every one of you continued success for the future. Guím rath Dé ar bhur gcuid oibre.