Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The community services programme was transferred to my Department on 1 January 2018. The CSP supports community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. Funding is provided towards the costs of employing a manager and a specified number of full-time employees. The funding allocation for the programme in 2018 is €46.2 million.

My immediate priority for the community services programme is to ensure its smooth transfer to my Department and to maintain the level of service for the 425 organisations funded under the programme. Thereafter, the intention is to monitor the programme's progress over the next six months and, working closely with Pobal, undertake a thorough review, to commence in early autumn 2018. The review will consider, among other things, how the programme fits with overall Government priorities as well as my Department's other community programmes and its policy objectives. In particular, the review will consider potential crossover with my Department's forthcoming national policy on social enterprise.

In the meantime, I expect to approve total funding of €1 million in the coming weeks for social enterprises providing employment to specified disadvantaged groups. The funding will be allocated to new social enterprises selected following a call for applications issued in 2017 under strand 3 of the programme. I also expect to approve funding for additional social enterprises during the year as space and funding become available as part of the ongoing management of the programme.

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