Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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229. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when a decision will be made in respect of which organisations formerly in receipt of Pobal funding and now in receipt of associated bridging funding will continue to be awarded funding; the amount that will be allocated; the number of organisations in receipt of bridging funding; the number that have applied for continued funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8573/15]

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. 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 will enable organisations to plan for their future, whether with or without State support, such as that provided under the SSNO.

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.

32 organisations are currently in receipt of bridging funding. 19 of these organisations have submitted an appeal of the original decision in relation to their funding applications.