Ó An Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail
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Mr Joe O’Brien TD, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, has today (15 November) announced additional funding of €1m for the Community Services Programme (CSP) Support Fund. This brings the total amount allocated under the fund in 2020 and 2021 to almost €9m.
Announcing the funding, the Minister said:
"While the majority of CSP supported organisations are now open, there are still a number of organisations that are struggling financially. As a result, I am delighted to be in a position to announce this extension of the CSP Support Fund to support these organisations so that they, in turn, can continue to provide access to their facilities and services across our communities.”
The Minister went on to say:
"I am very pleased to support the valuable work of community organisations in delivering vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities. This extension to the CSP Support Fund, in tandem with the additional funding made available to the COVID-19 Stability Fund in 2021, will continue to provide valuable support to these organisations”.
The existing supports, which were in place until the end of June 2021 towards additional wage and PRSI supports, are now being extended to 30 November 2021 to those organisations considered most in need, in line with the extension of other Government wage support schemes.
This extension of the CSP Support Fund will be administered over the coming weeks by Pobal, who manage the Programme on behalf of the Department.
ENDS
Community Services Programme
The Community Services Programme currently supports community-based organisations to provide local, social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model, providing a contribution towards the cost of staff in CSP organisations. It typically supports organisations to meet local service gaps and provide access to services and facilities that would otherwise generally be unavailable.
Review of the Community Services Programme
Indecon International Economic Consultants were engaged to carry out an independent review of the CSP. The final report was published in late September 2020 with a High Level Action Plan, prepared by the Department and Pobal. The Department and Pobal are working on the restructuring of the Programme. Pending the transition to the new restructured programme, the scheme is closed to new applicants through the Expression of Interest process. It is expected that the Programme will facilitate new entrants via targeted calls to address identified gaps in service delivery during 2022.
2021 Support Fund
The CSP Support Fund, which provides assistance to organisations to retain CSP supported employees, is being extended from 1 July to 30th November 2021 in line with other Government wage support scheme extensions. The CSP Support Fund, which when combined with normal levels of CSP funding, provides additional levels of funding to CSP supported organisations who are struggling financially to ensure that they can pay their full-time CSP supported employees a maximum of €350 net per week, with a proportionate amount for part-time CSP supported staff. Under this Support Fund, CSP supported organisations who are struggling financially also benefit from support towards the Managers’ Employers’ PRSI contribution, based on gross earnings of €32,000 per annum.
In addition to this Support Fund, a once off non-wage support grant “COVID Operational Funding” was also provided earlier this year to aid CSP supported organisations considered by the Department to be most in need. The funding was provided to support organisations cover overhead costs such as insurance, light, heat and Audit fees.
COVID-19 Stability Fund
In 2020, a €50 million support package for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Charities and Social Enterprises was launched by Government and administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development. This funding was made available from the Dormant Accounts Fund and consisted of the COVID-19 Stability Fund and the Innovate Together Fund.
An additional €10 million as allocated to the Stability Fund as part of the COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 plan announced by the Taoiseach on Tuesday 23rd February.