Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 May 2018
405. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the community services programme administered through Pobal will be open to new applications; if a Tidy Towns committee will be eligible to apply for staff through this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18966/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Services Programme (CSP) supports some 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions. Some €46 million will be provided to social enterprises under the programme in 2018.
My Department continues to accept expressions of interest under the programme and funding for new organisations will be considered, in light of available budgets, during the year.
However, to be eligible for support, an organisation must be a social enterprise capable of generating income from its activities. CSP funding is a fixed annual contribution and does not meet the full salary cost of supported posts. Accordingly, the CSP contribution must be co-funded by the organisation concerned from other sources, for example, from income received from the public use of their facilities and services.
