John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1548. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason new applications to the community services programme are closed; his plans to reopen the programme to new applicants; the number of persons working in the programme, by area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1882/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the Community Services Programme (CSP) transferred to my Department on 1 January 2018.

The CSP supports community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model.  Funding is provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and a specified number of full time equivalent positions.  Details of funded posts by area are set out in the enclosed table.

A targeted call for proposals issued under Strand 3 of the CSP in 2017.  An additional €1m was secured through the Estimates process for this purpose and I will approve new entrants to the programme in the coming weeks.  The additional funding will be committed to these new entrants and there is no call for proposals open at this time.

That said, my Department and Pobal continues to accept expressions of interest under the CSP and I will consider, in light of available budgets, the possibility of opening the programme to additional new entrants during the year.

Table 1: No. of CSP funded Managers, FTE roles and Individuals 2017