Written answers

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Departmental Bodies

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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533. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a comprehensive list of all non-governmental organisations operating within the State under the aegis of his Department, focusing particularly on those that may overlap in their missions and areas of operation (details supplied). [23812/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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534. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for each non-governmental organisation under the aegis of his Department, to provide a detailed breakdown of its core activities, geographical areas of operation, target demographics, and the specific services or programs they provide (details supplied). [23830/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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535. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to specify the total amount of funding allocated to each of the identified non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under his Department’s aegis over the past five years, broken down by State funding directly administered through central government agencies, departments, or any other public bodies; grants provided by local authorities or regional entities; additional financial support from public sources, including any specific allocations through schemes designed to support NGOs, charities, and community organisations, any external or private funding that NGOs may have received, specifically indicating where state funding is used to leverage additional private or philanthropic donations. [23848/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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536. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown of the number of non-governmental organisations under his Department’s aegis that charge fees for their services, including membership fees, participation fees, or any other forms of charge to the public; to specify which of these organisations charge fees while also receiving public funding, and how this practice is monitored to ensure that taxpayer money is not indirectly supporting fee-based services. [23866/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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537. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to identify any existing oversight mechanisms or audits that are conducted to assess the effectiveness of funding allocated to non-governmental organisations under the aegis of his Department (details supplied). [23885/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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538. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to state whether any review or audit has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness, redundancy, and administrative costs of state funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the aegis of his Department; if such a review has not yet been conducted, to request a detailed timeline and plan for implementing a comprehensive review of NGO funding under the aegis of the Department. [23903/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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539. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a summary of any specific steps taken to streamline non-governmental organisations under the aegis of his Department, eliminate redundancies, and prevent the duplication of services where organisations may be competing for similar grants or operating in the same areas with little coordination (details supplied). [23921/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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540. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to outline the total administrative costs associated with non-governmental organisations under the aegis of his Department, including the overhead costs related to compliance, reporting, and auditing requirements; and to compare these costs to the overall financial aid allocated to the organisations, identifying whether the administrative expenses are in proportion to the benefits delivered to the public. [23939/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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541. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a full and detailed explanation of how his Department monitors and ensures transparency in the use of public funds by non-governmental organisations under his aegis. (details supplied). [23957/25]

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540 and 541 together.

There are no non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the aegis of my Department.

With regard to funding provided to NGOs more broadly, while my Department does not generally provide direct funding to these organisations. It does provide funding for ad hoc humanitarian flood relief schemes which are delivered by the NGO sector.

The figures in the table below refer to payments made to businesses impacted by flooding, distributed by the Irish Red Cross on behalf of my Department under the Emergency Humanitarian Flooding scheme. This scheme provides a contribution towards the costs of returning business premises and community, voluntary, sporting bodies to their pre-flood condition including the replacement of flooring, fixtures and fittings and damaged stock, following a flooding event.

The scheme is administered by the Irish Red Cross (IRC) on behalf of my Department. Over 450 entities have received support under the scheme since the Government decision to transfer the scheme to DETE in 2018.

Year NGO Amount
2020 Irish Red Cross €167,446.36
2021 Irish Red Cross €403,215.65
2022 Irish Red Cross €104,948.14
2023 Irish Red Cross €3,681,102.18
2024 Irish Red Cross €6,137,438.56
TOTAL* €10,494,150.89
* It should be noted that the costs associated with a particular scheme many not necessarily be paid out in the same calendar year dependant on when the flooding event occurred. The figures listed also include an admin fee to the Irish Red Cross for the administration of the scheme.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by the Department and the Irish Red Cross (IRC) setting out how the scheme is to be operated. The IRC maintain appropriate accountancy and control systems in relation to the Scheme to ensure that all disbursements can be reconciled for audit purposes by its auditors or by auditors appointed or acting on behalf of the Department.

Following the cessation of the Scheme, the Irish Red Cross provide the Department with a final report on the administration of the Scheme, in line with audit requirements. The Reports address the operation of the Scheme against, in particular, the requirements of the Memorandum of Understanding.

With regard to the agencies that come within my remit and the support they provide to NGOs, as the agencies are statutorily independent in their functions this is an operational matter for them. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the agencies for direct reply.

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