Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
665. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the stability fund application by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44200/20]
View answerThe Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach.
The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund was intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently delivering critical front-line services to the most at need in our society and in danger of imminent closure due to lost fund-raised or traded income as a direct result of restrictions to counter the spread of COVID-19. The criteria of the scheme stated that any grants awarded would be dependent on the need identified and organisations approved for funding were prioritised on that basis.
This fund is providing up to €45million of funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF) and the criteria align with DAF objectives to support:
1. The personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially disadvantaged; or
2. The educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged; or
3. Persons with a disability.
My Department received 1,060 applications during the application periods. To date, funding of €31,370,238 has been allocated to 598 organisations. On 11 December I was pleased to announce that a further €13,436,742 top-up has been allocated to 574 of those organisations as a result of the €10m announcement in Budget 2021 and the remaining balance of the initial €35M.
I can confirm that an initial grant of €177,838 was allocated to the organisation in question in October. In addition, the organisation in question, in recent days, was also allocated a top up grant of €80,472 to bring the total grant amount awarded to the organisation to €258,310.
Lists of successful applicants are available on my Department’s website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/3957e-covid-19-stability-fund-successful-applicants/
