Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to support the development and retention of community-run shops and cafes, as committed to in the Programme for Government. [37767/25]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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Community-run shops and cafés are a vital part of many communities. I recognise the enormous benefit and impact that these social enterprises have in both urban and rural locations, offering training and employment opportunities, a place to volunteer and providing, in many cases, an important ‘hub’ where members of a community can meet, enjoy each other’s company, or shop within their own locality. They have proved to be a lifeline for those most marginalised in our communities, for example, the elderly, those with a disability, and the unemployed.

I also recognise that, while there is a need for these organisations, many are not economically sustainable and are operating in areas with deficient demand. As a result of this, they may need additional support.

Trading for Impact the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027 is committed to helping cultivate strong and impactful social enterprises, including community shops and cafés. This policy contains 57 policy measures to be delivered under 5 objectives, many of which provide support to the sector. Supports to community shops and cafés form a part of the supports available more widely to social enterprises.

Policy measure 12 of Trading for Impact commits over the lifetime of the policy to deliver loan/grant funding schemes for social enterprises through new and existing programmes including the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), PEACEPLUS, and LEADER. Many social enterprises who receive funding under the Community Services Programme (CSP) have community shops and/or cafés as part of the services they provide in their locality.

Since 2019 Dormant Accounts funding, targeted at social enterprises, has provided capital supports totalling almost €725,000 to 51 social enterprises that specifically supported the establishment or development of community shops and/or cafés around the country.

Our Rural Future , Ireland’s national rural development policy, recognises the importance of functional community spaces that support a range of activities that bring added vibrancy to rural areas. This includes funding across a range of schemes within my department’s Rural Development Investment Programme, for example the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and Community Centre Investment Fund, for capital projects developing community facilities including community shops and cafés.

The Programme for Government (PFG) 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future commits to ‘work to support the development and retention of community-run shops and cafés’ and in addition to the funding streams referred to above, my Department is considering how it can further support community shops and cafés.

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will increase funding to the community services programme for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38271/25]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports 427 community organisations through 446 services to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of local services, through a social enterprise model, with a budget of €55.4m for 2025.

In relation to funding for the CSP in 2025, an additional funding allocation of €3m was provided to the Programme in 2025.