Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will highlight the new development of small grants that are intended for local community groups. Again, this issue came up time and again across the whole consultation period as it was carried out. It was the issue of accessibility for small grassroots and community-oriented community organisations. As I said earlier, we have two new small grant programmes included in PEACEPLUS, to allow those smaller organisations and groups to access the programme with minimum bureaucracy. Pobal will be involved in administering these small grants on behalf of the SEUPB. Pobal has a wealth of experience in administering grants to local bodies. Those small grants are an important new reform, which should result in a greater reach of the overall programme and the money percolating down to the very small community groups on the ground throughout the Border counties and in Northern Ireland.