Written answers
Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Department of Rural and Community Development
Rural Schemes
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there are plans to relaunch the connected hubs voucher scheme. [28326/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing an integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
I am pleased to say that we are well on our way to meeting this commitment. There are now 319 hubs on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform and this number is growing all the time.
The initial focus of the Connected Hubs initiative was on establishing the network and on achieving this initial critical mass, underpinned by significant levels of investment by my Department. In 2022 with the launch of the first ever national connected hubs marketing campaign and mobile phone app, and the announcement of the Connected Hubs Voucher Scheme, the focus shifted to raising awareness of the network to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs, business owners and hub users
Through the work of the Interdepartmental Steering Group for the National Hub Network, my officials are now working on a new strategy for the development of the national hub network. This strategy will, inter alia, examine the most appropriate and effective approach to funding, developing and supporting the national hub network in the coming years to ensure that value for money continues to be delivered.
Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the community service project will be open to new applications; how many projects will be approved; and what criteria the applications will be assessed on. [28349/23]
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community-based organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.
A new call for proposals was announced in March 2023 with funding of €1m available under the following two strands:
- Strand 1: Organisations operating in the circular economy owned and led by Traveller organisations and/or provide employment primarily to members of the Traveller community.
- Strand 2: General community services that demonstrate they meet the strategic objectives and the principles of CSP.
Following the pre-application support workshops, organisations were invited to submit a short concept note to Pobal outlining their proposal for assessment against the objectives of the call. The deadline for receipt of concept notes under both strands has now passed.
Pobal have commenced their assessment of these concept notes against a number of criteria including demonstrable need, sustainability, value for money and governance. It is expected that Pobal's recommendations will be submitted to the department for approval later in June. Following review by the department, successful organisations will be invited to participate in the formal application process. It is expected that organisations will receive notification of the outcome in July. Some of the Strand 1 organisations may also be selected for further supports in advance of submitting a formal application process.
My department expects to fund an additional 10-12 organisations in 2023, and further projects may be funded in 2024 subject to available resources.
No further open calls are anticipated at this time but the matter will be kept under review.
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