Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Organisations such as Coiste Tithíochta Uíbh Laoghaire Teo, Macroom Senior Citizens and Westgate Foundation deliver meals on wheels and provide vital support in many communities. They recently outlined how they feel they will end up having to withdraw many supports because they will run out of funding later next year. They are facing higher operating, energy and fuel costs, and many more costs. I acknowledge the community support fund and the social inclusion and community activation programme, as well as the new community and voluntary energy support scheme. They are welcome. However, there are gaps. Some community groups are slipping through those gaps. A building might be owned by an education and training board. There might be a number of other reasons. Funding is being released in a number of tranches for these schemes. Will groups that have not got funding be carried forward? Will the Minister of State modify the scheme so that groups which have been disqualified or are unable to get funding will be eligible for it in later rounds and be supported in that way? I understand that not all applications to the community and voluntary energy support scheme were granted. The social inclusion and community activation programme funding was allocated as part of budget 2023, so it will not become available until later next year. Is there a way to advance that into the early part of the year? Many of these groups will have, and have already, suffered from those inflated energy costs.

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