Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. Regarding the community services programme, as the Chairman said, funding is provided towards the cost of a manager. We provide €32,000 per manager and €19,000 per full-time equivalent. I wish to make it clear to the Chairman and the committee that we make a very substantial contribution. As I said, 400 communities throughout the country are being supported and approximately 1,900 staff are employed. With the allocation I have secured this year I am looking to see whether I can get more services into the programme. It is a very good programme that services rural Ireland in particular. Services are provided particularly to communities that would not previously have had them. The State might not have been able to provide them, the council might not have been able to provide them, and the health board might not have been able to provide them if we did not have the community services programme. That is why I am carrying out a review at present. It is probably why we did the social enterprise policy as well. Some of the social enterprises are doing very well. They put the profits they make back into their enterprises. Some of these programmes, such as the community services programme, will never be profit-making, but at the same time we need to give them the support, backup and resources they need to keep them alive because they provide excellent services. I am carrying out a review in this regard. I hope to be able to support a few more organisations next year.