Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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232. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of Pobal funding for a community service organisation (details supplied); if funding will continue until the end of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10457/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model.  Around 425 organisations are supported under the CSP, with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. 

The organisation in question has been awarded a one-year grant agreement to end-December 2018.  The CSP grant includes a contribution towards the cost of a manager and five FTEs from January to June 2018, and a manager and two FTEs from July to December 2018.  The organisation will also receive an operational grant of €7,000 in 2018. 

The original grant is being maintained from January to June 2018 to allow the organisation transition to the lower level of support.  Thereafter, support will be revised to reflect CSP-appropriate activity currently being carried out by the organisation.  The re-contracting process, which included an unsuccessful appeal by the organisation, has been completed by Pobal and my Department is not in a position to alter the decision at this stage.

The organisation will have an opportunity to resubmit a revised business plan to Pobal as part of the re-contracting process for 2019-2020.  The business plan, which must be submitted by end-June 2018, can include a business case for increased support from January 2019 to December 2020.  A decision on funding for the organisation for 2019-2020 will be taken towards the end of this year.