Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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52. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications received under the community support fund to deal with energy bills to date; and their county of origin in tabular form. [62549/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Community Support Fund, launched on 18 November, is a new Fund designed to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, ICA Groups, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s Sheds. The fund will deliver small grants to help groups with running costs and rising energy bills. Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade works and to purchase equipment to support their activities such as laptops and printers, lawnmowers, training equipment, etc.

The funding is administered on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Applications for funding can be made to the relevant LCDC. The fund is at launch/opening stage at present so information in relation to applications is not yet available.