Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available to community groups (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26323/22]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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My officials contacted Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) who advised that it recently published its call for proposals under the Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund (MAEDF) / Community Education Grants on its website at www.cmetb.ie/funding-announcement/13/05/2022/.

The MAEDF is designed to increase the capacity of community and youth education providers and to address the decline in active participation of disadvantaged learners.This fund highlights the importance of community education as a mechanism to provide the necessary supports to disadvantaged learners.  It also provides a platform, which enables providers to invest in building effective and cost-efficient digital infrastructures. 

CMETB will be providing an in-person information support session at the Cootehill Community Building on the 30th May 2022.  This public forum will provide its attendees with detailed guidance of the necessary requirements, when considering an application for MAEDF funding.  Application forms may also be downloaded from the CMETB website. www.cmetb.ie/funding-announcement/13/05/2022/.

While I understand that the community group in question was not successful in an application for MAEDF support last year, it is open to them to reapply for support this year.