Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if an organisation (details supplied) will be granted funding under the scheme to support national organisations for its home-from-home apartment in Chapelizod, Dublin 20, which is Ireland’s only fully wheelchair accessible, self-catering accommodation. [7855/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The funding Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. Applications for a new round of funding, which commenced on 1 July 2014, were subject to an appraisal process. 55 applications were approved for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. The organisation referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied was not successful on this occasion. Pobal were asked to undertake the appraisal and management of the scheme and, in that context, put in place a dedicated team to deal with any inquiries from applicants and to provide detailed feedback. Furthermore, an appeals process was put in place, on foot of which Pobal submitted a report, which is currently being considered.

On 18 July 2014, it was announced that bridging funding of €1.4million would be allocated for a twelve month period to a number of previously funded health, disability and other organisations that were not approved for funding under the new scheme, pending the carrying out of a review of the public funding of national organisations in the health and disability sector. This bridging funding in 2014/2015 is a once-off transitional arrangement and will enable organisations to plan for their future, whether with or without State support, such as that provided under the SSNO. The organisation in question was allocated €37,304 for the 12 month period to 30 June 2015.

The review process is underway and is being advanced in consultation with the Department of Health. The Health Service Executive and Pobal are also participating in the review. All organisations in receipt of bridging funding have been contacted to make submissions as part of the review process. I intend to complete and publish the outcome of the review over the coming months.

It should be noted that funding under the SSNO is provided for ongoing core operational costs of national organisations within the community and voluntary sector. The definition of core funding for the purpose of the SSNOrefers to financial support that covers basic core organisational and administrative costs of an organisation; this includes core staff, facilities and the direct administration expenses of day-to-day work.