Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1047. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when decisions will be made under the community and voluntary stability scheme; the number of applications received; the value of the applications; the amount available for the grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9176/20]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach.

The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund is intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently delivering critical front-line services to the most at need in our society and in danger of imminent closure due to lost fund-raised or traded income as a direct result of restrictions to counter the spread of COVID-19.

This fund will provide €35million of funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF) and the criteria align with DAF objectives to support:

1. The personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially disadvantaged; or

2. The educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged; or

3. Persons with a disability.

The application deadline was extended by one day in order to facilitate those organisations that had technical issues or required clarification on their eligibility. The application process closed at 8pm on Thursday 21st May 2020.

Over one thousand applications have been received and as these applications are subject to a verification and assessment process, which is currently ongoing, the final number of eligible applications is yet to be determined. Organisations approved for funding from the Stability Fund will be informed in the coming weeks.