Written Answers. - Departmental Funding.
Jack Wall
Question:
30
Mr. Wall
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the number of community groups which received funding from his Department in 1997 and to date in 1998; if he will increase the funding available in 1998; the amount of funding he proposes to distribute; when the groups may expect to receive funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10102/98]
Voluntary and community groups play an important part in improving the quality of the lives of people by helping them to develop the capacity to change their situation for the better. Recognising the importance of the role played by these community groups in local development my Department has for a number of years supported local self-help and community development initiatives by the provision of funding through a range of programmes and schemes.
The community development programme was established in 1990 in recognition of the role of community development in tackling poverty and disadvantage. The programme provides financial assistance to projects towards the staffing and equipping of local resource centres which provide a focal point for community development activities in the area and to other specialised community development projects and initiatives having a strategic importance.
The projects provide a range of supports, development opportunities and services to community groups and individuals within their areas. There are currently some 90 projects participating in the programme.
In 1994, to mark the International Year of the Family, an allocation of £250,000 was made available by the Department to fund a number of family resource centres. The decision was motivated by the perception of a possible gap in statutory support for community development activities focused on support for families and tackling child poverty.
An evaluation of the work of these centres was published in 1997. The key recommendation of the report was that funding of these centres should be mainstreamed by this Department as a family and community services resource centre programme. In addition, the Commission on the Family, in its submission on the 1998 budget, considered that these centres have significant potential as a primary preventive strategy and endorsed the recommendation for significant expansion of the Department's funding programme to support a network of centres throughout the State.
The aim of a family and community services resource centre is to help combat disadvantage by improving the functioning of the family unit. Centres can provide special services for lone parent families, young mothers and others considered in need of extra support and can act as a first step to community participation and social inclusion for the most vulnerable and marginalised families. There are currently 14 centres participating in or in the process of being set up under the programme.
Recognising the important role played by these centres in supporting families this programme is being expanded in 1998 and an additional £700,000 was provided in the 1998 budget to this end.
The total provision in 1998 for both the community development programme and the family and community services resource centre programme is £7.759 million representing an increase of £2.159 million over the 1997 allocation. Projects within both programmes are paid on a quarterly basis with a sum of £2.061 million paid to date in 1998 to projects in the community development programme and £74,250 paid to centres in the family and community services resource centre programme.
There is no closing date for applications under either of these programmes and applications under both programmes are considered as and when they are received.
For many years my Department has also provided assistance to voluntary and community groups through a range of once-off grant schemes; including the scheme of grants to lone parent groups, the scheme of grants to locally based women's groups, the scheme of grants to locally based men's groups, the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations, and the community development education and training grants scheme.
These grant schemes concentrate on a wide range of support for local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work, and on the provision of seed money to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new and emerging community needs.
As many of the groups funded under these schemes provide supports for the family my Department has in 1998, introduced a new integrated scheme of grants to locally based community and family support groups — integrating the former schemes of grants to locally based women's groups, locally based men's groups and lone parent groups. In addition the Department continues to provide funding under the once-off scheme of grants to voluntary organisations and the community development education and training grants scheme.
The 1998 once-off grant schemes were advertised earlier this year with a closing date of 12 March 1998. Approximately 2,300 applications have been received at my Department's regional offices where they are currently being processed. Groups applying under the schemes will hear from my Department in due course.
In addition to the main scheme of grants for locally based community and family support groups a total of 28 more established community support groups are in receipt of three year core funding in the range £8,000 to £35,000 under this scheme. Applications from groups wishing to be considered for three year core funding are accepted at any time and are processed as soon as possible after receipt.
The total budget in 1998 for the scheme of grants for locally based community and family support groups, including those groups that receive core funding, the community development education and training grants scheme and the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations is £2.825 million representing an increase of £100,000 on the amount provided in 1997.
My Department also operates the scheme of community support for older people, the purpose of which is to provide funding for initiatives to improve the security and social support of vulnerable older people.
A sum of £2 million, the same as the 1997 Estimates allocation, has been allocated to the 1998 scheme, which was advertised recently. Voluntary and community organisations wishing to receive funding under the scheme should submit applications to the regional offices of the Department by 22 May. Applications will be assessed as soon as possible after the closing date.
Through the provision of the money advice and budgeting service, the Department is directly involved in activities to combat moneylending and over-indebtedness. Forty seven projects providing advice and education to the local community in relation to money management and debt management have been established throughout the country. The allocation to this scheme for 1998 is £3.143 million representing an increase of £943,000 over 1997. Projects in this programme are paid on a quarterly basis with a sum of £1,003,113 being paid to date in 1998.
Details of the total funding provided under all programmes and once-off grant schemes have been made available to the Oireachtas Library each year since 1990. Details of the total funding provided in 1998 under each scheme and programme will again be provided to the Oireachtas Library at the relevant time.
