Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2021
402. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if emergency funding will be provided to community groups whose fundraising has been curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay utilities and insurance costs on their premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55247/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health.
On Thursday, 11th November 2021, I was pleased to launch the new Community Activities Fund. This €9m fund is being provided by the Government to support community and voluntary groups impacted by Covid-19. This once-off funding will be allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programme and in order to ensure there is sufficient flexibility to allow funding to be targeted to where it is needed in each Local Authority area, it will be administered locally by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs).
The Community Activities Fund will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility (Electricity, Heating charges) or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Groups will also be able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment.
My Department currently supports over 420 community organisations under the Community Services Programme (CSP) to provide local services through a social enterprise model. In response to the difficulties faced by organisations due to COVID-19, my Department developed a €7.95m CSP Support Fund which assists CSP supported organisations to continue to retain their CSP supported employees on their payroll and also provides assistance for the employers PRSI contribution, during this crisis period up to June 2021. This additional funding also assisted those organisations most in need to meet their ongoing operational costs such as insurance, light and heat and audit fees.
In 2020, my Department supported close to 600 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities, through the €45m COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises. A further allocation of €10m was provided to the Stability Fund for 2021 as part of the revised Resilience and Recovery Plan announced on Tuesday 23rd February by the Taoiseach.
The COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 was launched in May, and was targeted at organisations which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which faced closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic. 244 organisations have been supported under the 2021 Stability Fund. The Stability Fund is now closed. All allocations are published on the Gov.ie website. There are no plans for any further rounds of the Stability Fund.
In general, I would encourage all organisations to continue to engage with their Local Authority and Local Development Company, and to check on the Gov.ie website in order to be aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
