Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
921. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the supports she can offer a company (details supplied) to navigate over this period coming out of Covid-19. [23422/20]
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.
This fund will provide up to €35million 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.
1,060 applications were received and were assessed and prioritised on the basis of need.
The primary aim of the COVID 19 Stability Fund was to assist eligible community and voluntary, charity and social enterprises who are experiencing financial difficulties due to a reduction in their fundraising income and / or traded income as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. In this context it was considered that organisations that receive 80%, or more, of their funding from State sources are considered to have had a significant and stable source of income over the period under consideration, as the State has continued to provide that funding.
On the basis of the information provided by the organisation in question as part of their application, that organisation is in receipt of more than 80% of its funding from State sources and, accordingly, was not approved for funding under the COVID19 Stability Scheme.
I understand that some organisations may be disappointed with the outcome, or may have additional or updated information they may wish to have reviewed. For that reason, there is a Stability Scheme Appeals Process and all organisations, including the one in question, were offered leave to appeal their funding decision.
The Community Services Programme (CSP), funded through my Department and administered by Pobal, currently supports over 400 community organisations, including the organisation in question, to provide local services through a social enterprise model with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) (€19,033 per annum) and a manager (€32,000 per annum), where warranted.
The organisation in question has been allocated funding of €110,563 in 2020 towards the cost of a manager and four FTEs. My Department has also put in place a CSP Support Fund for 2020 which provided additional funding to many of the CSP supported organisations where required and the organisation in question was successful in receiving additional funding of €2,431 through this Support Fund.
