Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has given consideration to convening a working group to include sector representatives and relevant Departments to develop a multi-annual funding structure in the in the community and voluntary and charity sector. [10405/24]

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Minister of State considered convening a working group to include sector representatives and relevant Departments to develop a multi-annual funding structure in the in the community and voluntary and charity sector?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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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.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I absolutely acknowledge the work done in the Minister of State's Department and the multi-annual funding, which he has outlined. However, he is part of a Government. The community, voluntary and charity sector includes a wide range of organisations, including section 38, section 39 and section 56 organisations. I am sure the Cabinet is aware of all the difficulties they are experiencing. I am using this opportunity to voice their concerns because we know what they are. They relate to recruitment, retention and the issue of strategic planning.

How do people plan if they do not have an assurance that they will have funding? That has led to significant difficulties. The Department has acknowledged that and worked forward on it.

I wish other Departments would take some steps similar to those the Minister has taken. I urge the Minister of State to use his position in the Government to push that further, with others.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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We are using a couple of mechanisms to try to push that and expand that approach across government. In his question, the Deputy proposes the convening of a working group. In many respects that working groups already exists. We have a cross-sectoral group tasked with implementing the five-year strategy. It includes officials from quite a few Departments, including the Departments of Health, further and higher education, housing, environment, children and integration and, obviously, the Department of Social Protection. The group draws up an annual work plan and has created one for 2024 setting out 24 or 25 priorities. It will meet approximately three times a year and will have subgroups that will focus on particular areas.

An area on which the group has decided to focus and that touches on the issue the Deputy raised is the commissioning exercise it has started. That decision was taken by the group, which has a roughly 50:50 split between community and voluntary sector groups and Government agencies. The commissioning exercise it has decided to focus on is probably the most relevant work the group is currently doing.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It goes without saying that there is not a group in the community and voluntary sector that will not speak of the need for multi-annual funding. I welcome the Minister of State's point that the group is cross-departmental. That is necessary. I am thinking of the likes of the Family Addiction Support Network, which is falling between stools and which, unfortunately, could face closure within the next year.

I have another question related to community centres. I have spoken to the Minister of State previously about Muirhevnamor Community Centre and the great work it does. We need to look at ways of providing long-term sustainability. Blackrock Haggardstown Community Centre applied for CSP funding but failed to secure it, even on appeal, on the basis of displacement. It says it now has an insufficient number of staff to do business. It cannot get enough staff through community employment or Tús and is looking at possible closure. That would be a particularly detrimental to the local community. I ask the Minister of State to engage with the organisation.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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There are a few strands to Deputy Ó Murchú's question.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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There generally are.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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In terms of other Departments, particularly in the case of the section 39 organisations the Deputy mentioned, this comes down to service level agreements. I point to a document that was agreed by the Government in the year before last. It is the shared values and principles document. It encourages Departments to engage more with community and voluntary organisations that we are dependent on and to build that relationship. That document is something I constantly push any time I get a chance to mention it.

Specifically, we have restructured the community services programme and have given extra weighting to organisations that operate in an environment where it is harder to generate their own income. Organisations in deprived areas also get a higher allocation. That was done in response to some of the challenges that have been presented to us.

We are looking at applications for additional staff under CSP as well. The window may reopen - it will be later in the year at the earliest - for new CSP applications as well and the organisation the Deputy mentioned may be able to apply. However, that would be post budget.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Could we look at the-----

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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The Deputy can speak to the Minister of State privately.