Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will guarantee that all social economy projects announced by his Department will be continued as envisaged when they were announced; if he will guarantee that the White Oaks project will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40205/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that my Department commenced the Community Services Programme in 2006 following the transfer of 260 groups previously funded under the Social Economy Programme operated by FÁS. The Programme contributes to the costs of community and voluntary groups in providing a diverse range of community services, facilities and social enterprises to deliver critical local services and employment opportunities for particularly disadvantaged groups across the State.

As of the end of October 2008, over 370 individual projects had been approved for funding at an estimated cost of some €48m this year. At present the number of people employed by these projects is in excess of 2,390. The project referred to by the Deputy has a contract with the Programme until the end of December 2009, with a funding commitment of €195,000 to employ one manager and seven full-time equivalent staff members.

The provision in my Department's Vote for the Programme in 2009 (€50.850m) represents an increase on the projected outturn for the current year of just under €3m. I am confident that this funding will be sufficient to meet the contracted costs of the projects within the Programme next year.