John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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480. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1212 of 7 November 2017, if a company (details supplied) currently seeking funding under the community services programme to promote tourism in the Inishowen peninsula, County Donegal was established by an organisation. [48054/17]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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481. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1212 of 7 November 2017, if three listed directors of an organisation (details supplied) were board members of a company at the time that the company had its funding removed under the community services programme following an independent review. [48055/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 480 and 481 together.

As the Deputy is aware, CSP funding for the Inishowen tourism service was withdrawn from Inishowen Tourism Society Limited on 30 June 2017. Officials from my Department and Pobal engaged with Inishowen Development Partnership Limited, which has an unblemished record in administering state funding in the Inishowen area, to consider how the funding for the tourism service in Inishowen could be delivered.

As a result of the discussions, it was decided that a new entity should be established comprising of the relevant community and tourism stakeholders in Inishowen. Once established, the new entity could then submit a 12 month business plan for assessment by Pobal. Following the assessment, Pobal would then make a recommendation to my Department and thereafter a decision would be made as to whether CSP funding for the tourism service in Inishowen could be delivered through the new entity.

Explore Inishowen CLG has been established but, to date, no business plan has been submitted for consideration by Pobal or my Department. I want to reiterate to the Deputy that Explore Inishowen CLG is completely independent and separate from Inishowen Development Partnership Limited.

According to Inishowen Development Partnership Limited, only one of those listed was a director of the company following the AGM of the company held on 5 December 2016. The others listed did not seek re-election and formally stepped down as directors of the company at the AGM.

This is recorded in the minutes of the company’s AGM. I understand that the information regarding the directors of Inishowen Development Partnership Limited was uploaded onto the CRO website on 6 September 2017 and the relevant papers were submitted by post to the CRO on 12 September 2017, in advance of the filing deadline of 14 September 2017.

The individual director who remains on the board of Inishowen Development Partnership Limited was elected at the last community elections held by the company and was formally adopted at the company’s AGM on 5 December 2016. He was one of 19 board members of Inishowen Development Partnership Limited at the time the CSP funding was removed from Inishowen Tourism Society Limited on 30 June 2017.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.