Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
246. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department has undertaken an assessment with other Departments of the ending of work by an organisation (details supplied). [18124/24]
View answerMy Department previously provided grant funding to Benefacts between the period 2015-2022. As DPENDR does not have a policy role in relation to the non-profit sector, the original basis for the provision of grant funding was to identify/stimulate the demand for data on the non-profit sector within Government Departments/public organisations,
In 2020, on foot of a review, which found that the business case for the continued funding of Benefacts by this Department was no longer justified, the decision was made to terminate funding.
To enable relevant public service bodies to assess all options in relation to their respective business needs concerning data on the not-for-profit sector, my Department further agreed to fund the initiative up to the end of 2021.
In April 2021, my Department reaffirmed its 2020 decision to the parties concerned. Furthermore, in acknowledgment of the impact of Covid19 on this deliberative process, the Department sanctioned a final three month extension of funding to Benefacts up to the 31st March 2022.
Despite affording a total period of approximately 20 months' notice so as to allow for the identification of another primary funder, no alternative funding source was identified from public service bodies that used Benefacts.
When discontinuing the funding, my Department were very clear in stating that it would not be initiating any process aimed at developing possible alternatives to Benefacts, nor would it be participating in any such discussions. Our position on this has not changed.
Whether or not other Departments/agencies have undertaken any assessments in relation to Benefacts, would be a matter for those Departments.
