Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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943. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he has restored funding to an association (details supplied) in 2020 in respect of the programmes supported in previous years; if so, the amount granted; the purpose it will be used for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10928/20]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding towards the regeneration of Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to support the implementation of the Mulvey Report “Creating a Brighter Future” and the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022. 

In 2019, €86,000 was provided by the NEIC Initiative to the organisation in question. This allocation funded a Football Diversionary Programme in the NEIC.

The funding allocation for the NEIC Initiative is decided on a year-to-year basis as part of the Estimates process. Once notified of the NEIC Initiative’s funding allocation for a given year, the NEIC Programme Implementation Board (PIB) invites proposals for the distribution of the funding which are then considered via a sub group structure and submitted to the PIB for approval. To date in 2020, no proposal for funding has been received by the NEIC Initiative from the organisation in question.

Funding was previously provided to the organisation in question by the then Department of Environment, Community and Local Government under the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) for the period covering 2011 to the 30 June 2014. The SSNO is now administered by my Department and provides multi-annual funding to national organisations towards the core costs associated with the provision of services.

There was no SSNO funding awarded to the organisation prior to 2011 and none since June 2014.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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944. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the support and advice available for non-county and city council operated community centres to determine when they can reopen according to the various facilities and services they provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11257/20]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The government has published a Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business to ease the COVID-19 restrictions and reopen Ireland’s economy and society in a phased manner. There is no set date for the reopening of all community centres in Ireland. The timing of this will differ for each community centre, as it will be dependent on the services each centre provides and also the size of the facility to enable it to adhere to physical distancing requirements.  The roadmap provides more detail and is available on the following link:  

Community facilities are supported in a range of different ways across different Government Departments and agencies.  Some of the supports my Department provides are outlined as follows.

Funding is provided to over 400 community organisations under the Community Services Programme (CSP)some of which are operating community centres.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme which has been developed to help our towns and villages to bounce back from the impact of COVID-19,  includes an Accelerated Measure in response to COVID-19.  More details are available on the following link: 

The Community Enhancement Programme provides small capital grants for facilities in both rural and urban areas.  The appropriate approach is being examined for programmes in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Community Enhancement Programme is being considered in that context.

Funding is provided to rural community groups through the LEADER Programme. Details can be found at 

While recognising that the social recovery of Ireland post COVID-19 will require a whole of Government approach, my Department will continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including Local Authorities and Local Development Companies, to determine how best this can be achieved and will continue to work to support community organisatons across the country.