Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) was first launched by my Department in 2018. The Programme provides funding to community groups and organisations across Ireland, with a focus on areas of disadvantage. Funding is provided to each Local Authority area, and the programme is administered by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDC) on the basis of local need.

Between 2018 and the end of 2020 the CEP funded over 8,000 projects across the country.

I launched the 2021 CEP on the 10th May with an allocation of €4.5m. The key theme was to support groups as they reopen facilities which were closed due to COVID-19. The 2021 CEP is now closed to applicants and depending on the Local Authority area, LCDCs have either assessed applications for funding or are assessing applications at present.

While there are currently no plans for another tranche of the CEP in 2021, I will consider allocating additional funding from other funding lines within my Department to support community centres and community groups as they move towards reopening.

The Funds allocated to each LCDC area for the 2021 CEP launched on 10th May is set out in the table below.