John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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311. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on the community services programme in each of the past ten years; and the estimated full-year cost of increasing funding through the community services programme in order to cover the cost of the 50 cent increase to the minimum wage. [14670/16]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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312. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing funding through the community services programme in order to enable the sector to become a living-wage employer, that is, that a minimum wage of €11.50 per hour would apply. [14671/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together.

The community services programme (CSP) is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by my Department. It provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services. The CSP provides a contribution to the wage costs of the companies on the basis that the services are not fully self-financing or the cost of provision would be prohibitive on users. My Department does not set the wage rate but requires the payment of an appropriate rate consistent with local norms.

In 2015, 398 companies were directly supported by the CSP. Companies receive a contribution towards the wage costs of 1,701 employees.

Providing for an increase of €0.50 per hour to all companies for the current number of employees supported (1,701) would result in an additional cost of €1.7 million per annum. However it should be noted at the end of 2015 some 60% of the employees supported were being paid above the level of the minimum wage in keeping with the social inclusion and social benefit objectives of the programme. Pobal and the Department are currently examining submissions from existing funded companies to assist and support those who are not in a position to cover the increase in the minimum wage for 2016.

Providing for an increase to €11.50 per hour to all companies for the current number of employees supported (1,701) would result in an additional cost of €9.8 million per annum.

Information on the expenditure for CSP in each of the past 10 years 2006 to 2016 is set out in the following table:

CSP Expenditure 2006-2016

*at end of May 2016