Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 September 2022
163. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will urgently review the provision of funding to an association (details supplied) to ensure that the services can continue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46150/22]
View answerThe Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 2,000 positions in more than 430 community organisations to provide a vast range of local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP supports a range of services and activities that enhance the quality of life of older people and those most vulnerable within our communities, including the provision of transport services.
CSP funding is currently provided as a fixed annual contribution of €19,033 for each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, provides €32,000 towards the cost of employing a manager, focusing on communities where public and private sector services are lacking, either through geographical or social isolation or because demand levels are not sufficient.
Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income received from the public use of facilities and services.
The organisation in question received a CSP contribution of €288,945 during 2021 towards staffing costs and were approved the same allocation for 2022. In addition, my Department provided the organisation with CSP Support Funding of €27,904 during 2021 and the organisation were also successful under their application for Covid Stability Funding, with the organisation receiving €57,901.
Pobal has had ongoing engagement with the organisation in recent years to support them to reach financial sustainability. However, the organisation withdrew their service recently without providing any prior notification to Pobal or to my Department.
My Department has no involvement in the internal operations of CSP supported organisations, which are solely a matter for the boards of those organisations to consider and manage, as a private company.
However, while the organisation have now withdrawn their transport services, the Department would be willing to support the continuity of service through the provision of additional wage contributions to other CSP supported organisations in the vicinity who may now be in a position to meet this need and service demand.
