Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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433. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money given to the new communities partnership in each year since the partnership was established; the person responsible for the partnership; if the money spent is audited; and if he will provide the details of relevant audits. [4905/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for a range of programmes to support communities, including the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) and the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO). Both of these programmes provide funding to support the work of the New Communities Partnership. The LCDP is one of my Department’s main social inclusion programmes. Its objective is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, and its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities. The Programme is administered and managed by Pobal on behalf of my Department and delivered at a local level by the nationwide network of Local Development Companies and a small number of alternative delivery structures.

Following the closure, in 2010, of the Local Development Company for the Dublin Inner City area (Dublin Inner City Partnership), New Communities Partnership is one of a number of groups contracted directly by Pobal to deliver LCDP services in the Dublin Inner City Area. The following table provides details of the funding provided to New Communities Partnership under the LCDP.

While the Board has ultimate responsibility for running the Company, Pobal carries out audits of LCDP funded groups in line with arrangements agreed with my Department. Although the Group in question has not been selected for audit under the LCDP to date, it has been required to comply with the financial guidelines which underpin the programme.

The SSNO in the Community and Voluntary sector provides multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. Priority is given under the Scheme to supporting national organisations which provide coalface services to disadvantaged target groups. Core funding refers typically to operating costs that will always need to be met, and are fundamental to the organisation's survival. The funding normally covers basic organisational and administrative costs of an organisation, and may include items such as salaries, facilities, equipment, communications, and the direct expenses of day-to-day work. The organisation in question was first funded under the SSNO which ran from 2008-2011, and is now funded under the current Scheme which commenced in 2011 and will finish on 30 June 2014. My Department conducts inspections on nationally funded schemes and programmes operated and implemented by the Department. A minimum selection of 5% of expenditure is examined each year across the Community & Voluntary Sector support programmes. To date, the Partnership has not been selected for inspection, although a system of checks is carried out prior to each payment.

The following table provides details of the funding to New Communities Partnership over the period 2008-2013.