Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have an opportunity to address the Seanad on the funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, who cannot be here.

The funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. A new scheme commenced from 1 July this year. The overall budget for 2014, including both the previous scheme and the new scheme, is €3.1 million. During 2013, a review of the scheme found that it has fulfilled its main objective of providing multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. The review recommended that organisations be required to demonstrate clearly the added value of the work proposed. The effective use of core funding in recipient organisations also requires that robust governance and cost control procedures are in place in those organisations.

The new scheme was advertised for applications earlier this year. Pobal were asked to undertake an assessment of the applications received, given that organisation's significant experience and expertise of both the design of assessment criteria and completion of assessment functions.

Two well-attended information sessions were hosted by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, and Pobal during the application process to outline the requirements of the new scheme. Application guidelines were also issued, outlining the scoring process, which included capacity of the organisation, strategic fit, demonstration of need, achievability of the proposal and value for money. Organisations were provided with support in the application process, including a dedicated e-mail address as a preferred contact method to deal promptly with queries, and inquiries were also dealt with by telephone.

Some 157 applications were received by Pobal. Of these, three applications did not meet the basic eligibility criteria. The remaining 154 applications were appraised by Pobal against the criteria as outlined in the application guidance. In order to make funding available to as many organisations as possible within the prevailing resource constraints and taking into consideration the results of the appraisal process, 55 applications were approved for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. The Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association is not one of the organisations been approved for funding on this occasion as it did not achieve a high enough ranking to be funded within the budget available.

Pobal has put in place a dedicated team to deal with any inquiries from applicants and to provide detailed feedback. There is also an appeals process and Pobal has provided applicants with detailed information on this process. As this appeals process is now live, it would not be appropriate for the Minister, Deputy Kelly, or me on his behalf to make any further comment on the funding process or the application of any particular organisation.