John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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583. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the funding removed from a company (details supplied) by Pobal is still available for other interested parties or organisations in the area to apply for; if she will clarify same; the person in her Department who is responsible for processing a new application for support under the Pobal community services programme. [43871/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The organisation referred to by the Deputy is a not-for-profit co-operative society working to promote tourism and arts and crafts in the Inishowen peninsula in county Donegal. The company operates from two offices based in Buncrana and Carndonagh, which open five days per week. The company manages the website , develops packages and marketing material, prints brochures, collates visitors data and works with tourist trade operators to promote and package Inishowen as a 'must see' holiday destination. The company received Community Services Programme (CSP) funding of €117,645.50 per annum, which supported the employment of a manager and 4.5 staff delivering the service.

Following concerns raised regarding the company in early 2016, Pobal, on behalf of my Department, commissioned an independent review of its governance arrangements. The report, completed in December 2016, identified a number of serious governance issues and made 22 recommendations to address these. The company was issued with the report on 22 December 2016 and was given a deadline of 30th April 2017 to make progress on the recommendations of the report.

Unfortunately, the company failed to make sufficient progress in implementing the report’s recommendations and, in the circumstances, they were informed that CSP funding for the service could not continue through them beyond 30 June 2017. This decision was accepted by them at a meeting with members of their board on 9th May 2017.

I want to make clear to the Deputy that I do not wish to withdraw funding for the service being provided. However, in light of the governance issues identified, my Department could not continue to fund the service through the company in question.

Officials from my Department and Pobal continue to explore other options as to how funding for the service can be maintained going forward. Progress has been made and I am hopeful that a new entity, through which the funding can be delivered, will be in place before the end of the year. It is important to note that the funding will remain in the Inishowen region.

My Department will consider any expression of interest in relation to the promotion of tourism in the Inishowen area from a CSP funding perspective. The CSP Policy Unit within my Department is based in Carrick-on-Shannon.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.