Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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68. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he is aware of the growing difficulties faced by community and voluntary organisations across County Tipperary in maintaining essential services due to the chronic inability to fill vacancies in publicly supported non-profit, voluntary and community organisations; the urgent measures being taken to ensure the sustainability of these vital community services; the measures he can implement to support community organisations who cannot fill vacancies where communities risk losing vital services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26462/25]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I ask the Minister about community employment, CE, schemes and the fact that it is now almost impossible to retain participants on them. I am chair of a scheme. I know it is not totally the Minister's remit, but it has a huge impact on rural organisations, rural communities and their viability and sustainability. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. This question fits across both of my roles.

This Government recognises and values the many contributions made to society by not-for-profit, voluntary and community organisations in Tipperary and I commend the Deputy's work in this space. The Department of Rural and Community Development supports the community and voluntary sector through a number of schemes, most notably the community services programme, CSP, the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and the scheme to support volunteering. The CSP supports 428 community based organisations, with a budget of in 2025 of €55.4 million. This provides local services through a social enterprise model. In 2023, the majority of CSP-funded organisations were awarded five-year contracts, which has provided certainty in terms of operations and employment. In addition, and in recognition of the higher costs arising from increases in the statutory minimum wage, the contribution towards employment costs for those organisations with medium or high funding needs has increased. The SICAP, as I previously mentioned, is a national programme delivered in both rural and urban areas by local development companies to help those in the greatest need. It aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. My Department has contributed more than €47.4 million in 2024 for SICAP and has committed more than €48.9 million for 2025.

Finally, Ireland’s volunteering structures are recognised as a model of best practice. More than 1 million people volunteer regularly in Ireland and I am committed to supporting them in this work. Funding from my Department to the volunteering sector has increased from €3.1 million in 2020 to €7.3 million in 2025. We are aware that challenges remain, especially in the schemes referred to by the Deputy. I am working in the Department of Social Protection to make changes to those schemes so that we will be able to attract more participants to them and encourage more people to get involved in their local communities through the fantastic work of the community employment scheme, the rural social scheme and Tús.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. I know he is hands on. He understands it because he is from a rural community. There is just an impossible strain on the voluntary boards that are trying to fill these positions, trying to get the work done and keeping the whole plethora of areas going. Schemes such as rural transport services, meals on wheels, day care, community centres and Tidy Towns groups are under enormous strain. While many of the groups receive State support, that is no good if they do not have the workers. The scheme needs to be tweaked. Some years ago, people were allowed, if they had done three years and were a certain age, to carry on their work until retirement age. That needs to be looked at again. That was allowed. We are told we nearly have full employment and it is hard to get participants. The people on our CE scheme work with the supervisor Seán Byrne over three villages, Ballymacarbry, Newcastle and Ballybacon, that straddle two counties. It brings things together as well. Tipperary might have been on the hurling field last week against Waterford but we work together with a ní neart go cur le chéile attitude and that is the way it is. I compliment all the participants on all the schemes throughout Tipperary and everywhere else. They do a meaningful job and they do not get much reward at times. They get little remuneration, but they do excellent work.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Despite all our GAA talk, we had managed to avoid last weekend until the Deputy's intervention. That suited me anyway.

We have made announcements this week under the growing social enterprise fund. Borrisoleigh Community Centre in Tipperary has been awarded €15,000 for solar panel installation. Canon Hayes Recreation Centre, with which the Deputy is familiar, has been awarded €11,559; Cloughjordan has been awarded €15,000; the Newport development association has been awarded €3,800; and €45,000 has been awarded to the Millennium Family Resource Centre, FRC, in Tipperary to assist it in its work. These kinds of specific interventions are assisting local groups in the county to continue the work and grow the expansion of the service. As I said, with my social protection hat on, we are looking at what we can do to enhance the schemes to make them more attractive for participants. Schemes are totally dependent on their supervisors. I acknowledge the amazing work of supervisors on CE schemes, RSS and Tús. I am happy that we secured some pay awards recently in that space and we will continue to grow the impact of the schemes.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I acknowledge the work they do. A man on the volunteer boards went to places in Tipperary like Knockanrawley FRC, Millennium FRC in Glengoole and of course Spafield FRC in Cashel. Recent data have shown there are 106 vacancies now across the schemes in Tipperary. It is difficult at this time of year to cover everything, including Tidy Towns, the GAA, community groups and all the other issues, such as meals on wheels and community centres. We just do not have enough staff. I thank the officials we deal with in the Department who help us out and have given us rollover extensions to keep the schemes alive because we cannot get the participants. The participants are needed so the criteria must be made easier to meet. We are especially looking for people on the schemes who are in their late 50s to be allowed to stay on them until they retire, because there is little possibility of them retraining and going back to work. Our scheme has been successful in progression. That is part of our problem because we have put people back to work as self-employed and into jobs. It has been great because it benefits the participants and the community. I appreciate that the Minister is trying to tweak it and that he will do so. I look forward to a positive outcome where our schemes continue to do the valuable work they are doing in Tipperary.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The schemes do superb work. I compliment the Deputy and all the volunteers who run them and are on the boards. I have the report into the future of the rural social scheme, which I am considering at the moment. We will be making some announcements imminently around that.

Again, on making it easier to get participants, I believe, as I have discussed with the Deputy previously, that the schemes have changed. They are no longer entirely labour market activation schemes. They are much more community social support schemes.

The changes I am looking to make will reflect the change of that scheme. It is important we give people the chance to support local communities. It is a matter of pride for them and a matter of identity for many people. We must review how we look at the schemes and approach them. That is something I am currently very focused on.