Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív today pledged to earmark €150 million to develop community facilities.
Mr Ó Cuív said Fianna Fáil wants to introduce a major new initiative to develop community facilities throughout the country over the next five years if re-elected.
The Minister explained that Fianna Fáil believes that all communities should have a guaranteed level of facilities including playgrounds, local markets, recycling, sports and other recreational centres.
"Through this new €150 million fund communities will be able to take facilities to an entirely new level and quality," he added.
Meanwhile Labour today pledged to provide more primary school places and improved healthcare for children if elected.
Publishing the party's 10-point plan to improve the lives of children in Cork today, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte claimed the State was not doing enough to protect the wellbeing of its children.
"Providing pre-school education to all our children is one of my key commitments for change," he said.
"In the next decade, some 100,000 extra children will come into a primary school system that cannot even accommodate the students who are already looking for places".
Labour, he said, will make sure children are educated in well-equipped schools that are safe, pleasant and built on time.
The party also committed itself to improving the health provisions for children by providing a GP visit card to all up to the age of five, and free health insurance for every child up to age of 16.
"We will also ensure that there are sufficient public health nurses available to carry out routine developmental checks on children at appropriate stages," Mr Rabbitte added.