Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2018
82. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of top-up required to be funded in 2018 by companies participating in the community services programme per full-time equivalent after receipt of the subvention for wages compared to 2010; the reason the grant or subvention for wages has not kept in line with the increases in the minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38603/18]
View answerThe Community Services Programme (CSP) supports around 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. Funding is provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions. More than €46 million is available to support community organisations under the programme in 2018.
The CSP contribution to the cost of employees is not aligned to the national minimum wage. It is a fixed annual contribution of €19,033 per full-time equivalent and €32,000 per manager and is required to be co-funded by the organisation concerned from other sources, for example, from income received from the use of their facilities and services. In order to pay staff the current minimum wage, a top up of €2,000 per full-time equivalent is required from organisations. In 2010, as the minimum wage was lower than it is currently, no top-up was required.
My Department will be commencing a review of the CSP shortly. Decisions on the structure of funding supports for CSP funded organisations will be considered in the context of this review.
