Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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866. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on the creation of a national body for social enterprise, similar to the multi-annual funding model for an organisation (details supplied); the steps she intends to take to implement this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36410/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Social enterprises are businesses that work primarily to improve the lives of people, with any surpluses generated re-invested into achieving their core social objectives.

They frequently work to support disadvantaged groups such as the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, and the Traveller community, or to address issues such as food poverty, social housing, or environmental matters.

In July 2024 The Government launched its second National Social Enterprise Policy, ‘Trading for Impact’. As with the first National Social Enterprise Policy published in 2019, ‘Trading for Impact’ was developed in partnership with the social enterprise sector, after widespread consultation with the sector and an open national public consultation process.

Currently there is no provision in ‘Trading for Impact ’ for the creation of a national body for social enterprise. However, I would like to acknowledge the significant role that a number of representative bodies for social enterprise and social entrepreneurs have played at both policy and operational level in supporting the growth and advancement of the sector. As the sector matures, there is a more immediate rationale for a greater level of co-ordination and consolidation of that representation.

Action 49 of ‘Trading for Impact’ commits to ‘Enhance the co-ordination and consolidation of social enterprise representative bodies’. To this end, the Department of Rural and Community Development will continue to work with representative groups to consider ways in which the sector can be supported to achieve this objective.

At present the only multi-annual funding that my Department provides to support national organisations is the Scheme to Support National (SSNO).

This provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national organisations delivering services and supports, with a focus on one or more of the following: addressing poverty, social exclusion and promoting equality.

The current three-year scheme commenced on 1 July 2022 and is scheduled to cease on 30 June 2025. A new iteration of the scheme is under consideration and further information, including relevant application and assessment information, will be available in due course.