Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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830. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to explain the reason funding was provided to a community transport service (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46948/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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Under the current Dormant Accounts Plan, Pobal are administering the Social Enterprise Measure on behalf of my Department.

The aim of the Social Enterprise Measure is to increase the impact of social enterprises by enhancing their capacity to deliver services and generate traded income through the provision of small capital grants. Funding is being provided to support the development of social enterprises that have the capacity to deliver local, sustainable jobs and which contribute to community gain in disadvantaged areas/for economically and socially disadvantages persons.

I can advise the Deputy that each application under the Social Enterprise Measure was assessed by Pobal against the criteria set out in the published guidelines and scored accordingly.

The organisation referred to in the Question was awarded €88,000 under the Social Enterprise Measure to purchase a fully accessible 57 seater coach to increase accessibility for the elderly, persons with a disability and persons living in rural communities and to develop a disability tourism initiative and expand their existing social enterprise by linking up with commercial tour operators, community and disability groups to provide a range of accessible transport options to tourists to the South West region.