Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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834. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the grants available to voluntary organisations for acquiring new equipment in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7237/16]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The funding of voluntary organisations to acquire new equipment is not a direct function of my Department. However my Department funds the BenefIT Programme, which is an initiative that supports community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations to provide basic digital skills training to citizens who have little or no online experience. In 2014, following a call for applications, I extended the reach and impact of the BenefIT Programme by funding 24 community group projects as part of a pilot programme which is now closed. The new community projects encouraged and supported communities to develop their own plans and build local partnerships to equip citizens with online skills. Some community projects used a small proportion of this funding to purchase equipment to facilitate digital skills training.