Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the community service programme is open to new applicants; and if so, the process for a community group to apply for funding. [29028/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution of €19,033 for each fulltime equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, provides €32,000 towards the cost of employing a manager. Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income received from the public use of facilities and services.

In 2020, Indecon International Economic Consultants carried out an independent review of the CSP on behalf of my Department. The final report was published in September 2020 and is available on my Department's website. My Department and Pobal have commenced work on the restructuring of the Programme, in association with the CSP Consultative Group. Pending the transition to the new restructured Programme, the scheme is closed to new applications through the Expression Of Interest process. However, it is anticipated that the Programme will facilitate new entrants via calls to address identified gaps in service delivery later in 2021.

As a first step in that regard, on 28 April, my Department, in collaboration with the Department for Transport, launched a three-year pilot initiative for the provision of high quality up-cycled bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and/or those who are most marginalised and disadvantaged.

Funding of €3m is being provided by the Department of Transport for this initiative over a three-year period and will be made available through my Department's Community Services Programme.

Applications are now being sought from eligible organisations for inclusion on this programme. Organisations eligible to apply are those currently supported under the Community Services Programme or alternatively are in a Partnership/Consortium of which at least one member is currently a CSP supported organisation.

It is envisaged that the pilot will support up to 6 social enterprises in 2021. Full details of the scheme and the necessary application form are available on the Department's website. The closing date for applications is noon, 28 May.