Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 4

Written Answers. - Community and Voluntary Sector.

Joan Burton

Ceist:

141 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to provide assistance for community and voluntary organisations to enable them to continue providing valuable services to the community in view of the financial and staffing difficulties that many are now facing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17743/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Mr. N. Ahern)

My Department administers a range of community schemes and programmes which support voluntary and community organisations nationwide in addressing identified needs at local level.

In the region of €21.3 million has been provided this year to meet my Department's commitments under the community development support programmes, CDSPs. Despite the tighter budgetary situation, my Department has continued to honour all commitments to the 155 core-funded projects throughout the country funded on a contract basis under the CDSP. Funding allocations to individual projects this year have been at least maintained at 2002 levels and have been increased in many cases. I am aware that the key staffing positions in these projects are dependent on continued core-funding and I will be endeavouring to maintain and build on that support to local projects in the coming years, subject to available funding. In this respect, I was delighted to be able to announce recently the establishment of a further 15 community development projects which will receive one-year renewable contracts effective from September 2003. This expansion of the CDSP, at a cost of €900,000 annually, further underlines my commitment to community development and I have further plans to induct an additional 15 new projects into the programmes next year, again subject to available resources.

My Department is also responsible for the operation of a scheme of once-off grants which benefits non core-funded voluntary and community groups which focus on tackling poverty and disadvantage and work from community development principles. Some €2.4 million has been provided this year to operate this scheme, which is being advertised in the national and local media from today. Under this scheme, funding will be available for training, education or research initiatives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of local communities and voluntary groups. Grants will also be available for the purchase of equipment or transport and premises related costs. This scheme has proved to be very popular in recent years and has served as a much-needed support to the many volunteers who provide an invaluable service in our local communities. Established CDPs are also eligible to apply for funding under this scheme.

In line with commitments in the White Paper on supporting voluntary activity, support is being provided for a scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in providing support services to their member groups and in representing their interests – funding in 2003 of €1.827 million spread across six Departments; and a scheme for training and supports in the community and voluntary sector – funding in 2003 of €600,000. Assessment of the applications received under both of these schemes is at an advanced stage and it is now expected that it will be completed by the end of July.