Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2022
142. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the increase in funding that she will provide for services and supports for community and voluntary organisations to enable them to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45132/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019. This is a whole of government strategy led out by my Department, which is implemented collaboratively with the sector through the Cross Sector Group on Local and Community Development.
This Strategy is important in seeking to strengthen the community development, local development and community and voluntary sectors generally. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector, whilst also recognising the reality of finite resources and the need to ensure that available resources are focused on providing effective services.
The strategy sets out a long-term vision for the sector and implementation will require an incremental building of supports over the strategy period and beyond.
Significant work is already underway, with the launch of the National Volunteering Strategy in December 2020, the introduction of a pilot Community Development Programme and the agreement of a set of Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership Working with the Community & Voluntary Sector, to name just a few.
Another key action in the strategy is the establishment of a Civic Forum for formal dialogue between the sector and local and central government. My Department is working on the design of this Forum, which will take place later this year. The Forum will be developed in collaboration with the community and voluntary stakeholders and its work will be underpinned by the recently agreed values and principles.
My Department’s Community Services Programme, or CSP, currently supports over 430 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of a diverse range of local services, through a social enterprise model.
The CSP contribution is not aligned to the minimum wage and does not meet the full salary cost of supported posts, rather it is a fixed annual contribution towards the overall cost of the employees with funding of €19,033 currently provided for each full time equivalent (FTE) position and €32,000 for a manager, where warranted.
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.
Following an independent review of the CSP, the programme is currently being redesigned. As part of the restructuring process, I have recently approved a new funding rate allocation model for the CSP based on three weighted criteria, as an alternative to the current flat rate payment model. This will provide a sustainable funding model for the CSP Programme, taking account of the earning potential of the funded organisations.
The revised funding rates to apply from January 2023 under the restructured programme have not yet been finalised. It is anticipated that all existing organisations will transition to the new programme in January 2023 following an application process which will open in the coming weeks.
My Department is one of many Departments and public agencies that provide funding which supports the employment of staff within the community and voluntary sector.
