Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The programme of grants for locally-based community and voluntary organisations which the Senator mentioned is funded by my Department and supports the activities of local voluntary and community groups addressing disadvantage in their community. The programme transferred to my Department from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in 2002. Since then, and in its previous format, the programme has benefited thousands of locally-based community and voluntary organisations throughout the country.

Last year I announced funding in excess of €5.5million under the programme for over 500 groups throughout the country. This represented an increase of approximately €2million over the 2004 figure. The organisations funded represent a broad cross-section of local voluntary and community activity but especially those addressing disadvantage in their communities. The groups which received funding under the programme are published on the Department's website.

The programme consists of three schemes. One makes funds available for small-scale refurbishment of premises such as community halls. Grants of up to €40,000 are available for refurbishment purposes. This is complemented by a second scheme to provide for the purchase of essential equipment, including IT equipment. The maximum grant for equipment is €10,000. The third scheme is aimed at enhancing the capacity of local communities and grants of up to €10,000 are available towards education, training and research proposals. Grants towards wages or salaries or other running costs are not available under this scheme.

The programme is advertised widely in the national and regional newspapers every year. Last year in response to invitations for applications, we got almost 1,500 applications. They were assessed for the Department by reference to the criteria set out in the published guidelines and scored accordingly. Priority under the programme is given to disadvantaged communities with a greater priority accorded to self-help initiatives by disadvantaged groups and communities. In addition to the general application requirements, the applications are assessed by reference to a number of criteria. Last year all the eligible applications were scored against these criteria and the grants were based on the results.

An application for funding was received by the Department under the 2005 programme from the Legan neighbourhood watch in Longford. The application from the organisation in question failed to achieve a sufficiently high score to enable it to be considered for funding. The application from the organisation in question failed to achieve a sufficiently high score to enable it to be considered for funding on this occasion. A request for a review of the original assessment of the application was received by my Department in January. The result was that the application submitted was for the provision of security equipment for older people in the local community and was therefore outside the scope of the programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations. The group basically applied under the wrong scheme.

The Department operates a separate scheme, the scheme of community supports for older people, which addresses such needs directly. There is no shortage of funding whatsoever under this scheme. Today we celebrated the scheme's tenth anniversary and the event will probably be reported in the media, including the regional papers, over the coming days. We have arranged for the Department to forward a copy of the application form and the guidelines for the scheme to the group in question.

I totally agree with the Senator's points on voluntary effort and volunteerism. I do not know if there were people from Longford at the celebrations in the hotel today but I know that a couple of hundred people from different groups from all over the country attended. They seemed to be highly motivated and energised and were quite favourably disposed to the amendments I made to the scheme.

The group applied under the wrong scheme. If it applies under the correct scheme, fills in the application form sent to it correctly and submits it as early as it can, we will certainly see to it that the grant is made. There is no shortage of funding for security measures for elderly people.