Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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373. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons presently employed on the community services programme, CSP; the number employed on CSP on a county basis; her future plans for the community services programme; the projected number of persons employed on CSP by the end of 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8884/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in service delivery and disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. The programme is funded by the Department with day-to-day management of contracts undertaken by Pobal. Some 425 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives shared annual funding of €46m from the programme in 2013. Contract holders must deliver tangible services that are capable of generating non-public revenues from their operations by way of charging fees, sales and/or fundraising and other public funds. The programme is not intended to represent full-funding for any operation. Funding is provided on the basis of a contribution to the cost of a full-time position to support the delivery of the service and includes management and non-management positions. The contribution to a management position is €32,000 per annum and €19,033 to a non-management position. The Department may also provide additional financial support where revenue earning opportunities are limited, to support the development or transition of a service provider and/or to meet other short-lived cash flow shortfalls.

The programme supported around 2,900 people in the delivery of services during 2013. In addition, the Department estimates that between 300 and 400 additional people are engaged by contractors. The following table gives the number of people employed in positions to which the CSP contributes at 31 June 2013. A number of contractors (involving less than 50 full-time equivalent positions) transferred from the programme to the National Transport Authority at the end of 2013. Taking this adjustment into account, I expect that similar level of employment can be maintained for 2014. The Department has no plans for any significant change in the delivery of the CSP.