Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I was delighted to launch the Community Support Fund with funding of €10m on 18th November this year. This is a new fund under the Community Enhancement Programme designed to assist community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups and Men’s and Women’s Sheds.

The fund will deliver grants to help groups with rising energy and operational costs such as electricity bills, insurance costs etc. Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade or refurbishment works and for the purchase of equipment which supports their activities such as laptops and printers, training equipment, tables, chairs etc.

The Community Support Fund is being 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. Groups should contact their local LCDC for further details on the application process.

Separately, the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS), administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, will provide once-off energy supports to organisations within the community and voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government.

CVESS will support incorporated C&V sector organisations (i.e. those incorporated as CLGs or Co-Operatives) and/or registered charities only. While applications for Phase 1 closed on 2nd December, I can confirm that my department has streamlined the process for multi-site applicants in a further round of the scheme, which is now open. In addition, eligible organisations who missed the deadline for Phase One may also apply under Phase Two, with applications remaining open until 20th January 2023.

I was pleased to announce the first tranche of successful applicants under Phase One earlier this week, with further announcements to follow.