Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 March 2022
251. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the independent non-governmental organisations, including organisations with charitable status, non-profit organisations, religious bodies including churches, social enterprises, clubs, societies that her Department has supported with financial assistance from 1 January 2020 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13246/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department was established in 2017 and funds a range of programmes and schemes to assist in rural and community development, which are available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country. In the 2022 Revised Estimates, my Department was allocated €378 million. This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.
The amount allocated by my Department for urban and rural development and renewal purposes in the past years to-date was €314 million in 2020, and €331 million in 2021. This funding includes the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme, the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, the Community Enhancement Programme, supports for social enterprises, and funding for public libraries across the country.
The Community Services Programme (CSP), which is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, currently supports over 420 community organisations nationwide to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP funding provides a co-funding contribution of €19,033 towards the cost of each agreed full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and €32,000 towards the cost of each manager position, where warranted. The CSP contribution does not meet the full salary cost of the supported positions, organisations are required to provide additional funds from their own resources such as traded income, to meet the full cost of employment. Full details of CSP supported organisations are available on Pobal’s website.
My Department provides a cohesive framework of supports for the community and voluntary sector. This includes supports for 29 Volunteer Centres and a number of national organisations such as Volunteer Ireland and Young Social Innovators. A minimum of €121,000 per annum is provided, by my Department, to strengthen and foster volunteerism in Ireland to each Volunteer Centre. This funding helps to build a support structure to develop volunteering locally thus enabling Volunteer Centres, including to play a central role in facilitating and supporting the development of volunteering in their areas.
My Department also has overall responsibility for the funding, governance oversight and development of the national Public Participation Network (PPN) network. A PPN is a structure that brings together volunteer-led groups in each Local Authority area to represent the community sector in local policymaking. PPNs have been established in all local authority areas. My Department provides funding of up to €55,700 per annum to each PPN, supplemented by local authority funding. This funding is to be used for the cost of the employment of Resource and Support Worker, and ongoing operational costs such as office accommodation and training.
LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a total budget of €250 million allocated for the period 2014-2020 and The Transitional LEADER Programme has €70 million available for the period 2021 and 2022. The programme, which is co-funded by the EU, is based on a local-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The programme supports projects from local community groups and businesses which, amongst other objectives, promote economic development, social inclusion and the protection of the rural environment. The programme is administered at local level by Local Action Group (LAGs) across the country who are responsible for selecting and awarding LEADER funding to projects within their own geographical area. In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy in the area concerned, and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.
Unfortunately while data is not available at the granular level requested by the Deputy on the organisations supported details of funding allocations under specific schemes provided by my Department are available online on the Department’s website at www.gov.ie/drcd
I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department are delivering, and will continue to deliver, tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities, supporting economic development, and enabling the local and community development sectors to continue to provide valuable much needed services and supports to all communities throughout the country.
