Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019. This is a whole-of-government strategy led by my Department and it is implemented collaboratively with the sector through the cross-sectoral group on local and community development. This strategy reaffirms the Government's commitment to supporting the sector while also recognising the reality of finite resources and the need to ensure available resources are focused on providing effective services. The strategy includes a commitment to develop a sustainable funding model to support the community and voluntary sector.

While my Department provides funding to some community and voluntary organisations, it is not the primary funder for many of them. Furthermore, my Department does not have a direct mandate to set the terms of the funding arrangements put in place for what is a wide array of diverse programmes and schemes, most of which are managed and funded by other Departments. However, my Department has taken steps regarding its own programmes. For example, five-year multi-annual funding contracts have now been issued to 420 organisations funded under the community services programme. A further example is the scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector. Funding totalling €21 million is provided on a multi-annual basis to 82 organisations under this scheme.

In line with a commitment in the strategy, my Department is currently mapping the commissioning of social and community services by public sector bodies. This is included in the 2024 cross-sectoral group work plan of priority actions. This mapping exercise will capture some information on the duration of grant agreements being issued to community and voluntary organisations, which should assist the policymaking process concerning this issue.

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