Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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404. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a community service contract in respect of a sports and recreation club (details supplied) will be reviewed following the submission of an updated business plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18710/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports around 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions. Some €46 million will be provided under the programme in 2018.

The organisation in question submitted a business plan to Pobal in 2017 as part of the normal CSP re-contracting process. The business plan failed to satisfy key CSP appraisal criteria, in particular there were concerns about the organisation's continued financial sustainability.

The organisation is approved for funding until end-December 2018 and has been invited to resubmit an application under the CSP re-contracting process for 2019-2021. The deadline for receipt of applications was 30 April 2018. An application has been received from the organisation and a decision will be made following completion of the re-contracting process in the coming months.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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405. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the community services programme administered through Pobal will be open to new applications; if a tidy towns committee will be eligible to apply for staff through this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18966/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports some 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions. Some €46 million will be provided to social enterprises under the programme in 2018.

My Department continues to accept expressions of interest under the programme and funding for new organisations will be considered, in light of available budgets, during the year.

However, to be eligible for support, an organisation must be a social enterprise capable of generating income from its activities. CSP funding is a fixed annual contribution and does not meet the full salary cost of supported posts. Accordingly, the CSP contribution must be co-funded by the organisation concerned from other sources, for example, from income received from the public use of their facilities and services.