Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

392. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the Community Services Programme will be open for new applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30921/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports 428 community organisations through 448 services to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of local services, through a social enterprise model, with a budget of €55.4m for 2025.

The CSP Programme, which is not aligned to the minimum wage, provides a funding contribution towards the cost of Full Time Equivalent positions and, where warranted, manager positions. The funding provided is not intended to meet the full salary cost of supported posts. Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income received from the public use of facilities and services.

Additional funding of €3m was announced for the Programme, as part of Budget 2025. This has been fully allocated to meet the increased employment costs of the existing CSP-funded organisations in 2025.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to have an open call for new organisations to join the programme each year. I will be seeking additional resources in the 2026 Estimates to fulfil that commitment, having regard to the funding needs of existing organisations and of organisations who wish to apply to join the programme.