Mr Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, has today (Friday, 6 November) announced that he has approved funding in excess of €1 million for the Community Services Programme (CSP) Support Fund in 2020, pending the outcome of the CSP Review, which is nearing completion.
Announcing the 2020 Support Fund Minister Ring said:
I am delighted to be in a position to extend the Support Fund into 2020. Indecon Consultants, who are carrying out an independent review of the CSP, are currently finalising their report. I expect to receive the final report in the coming weeks, which will help inform my decisions on the future shape and structure of the programme.
The Minister continued:
In 2020 I will be examining the recommendations in the report with a view to making any necessary changes. Pending this revision of the Programme, the Support Fund with continue in 2020. The support fund will provide an additional maximum contribution of €1,200 per full-time equivalent position. The level of additional support provided will be tailored to meet the needs of those community organisations that are struggling financially.
The CSP supports community-based organisations to provide vital services through a social enterprise model, providing a contribution towards the cost of employing staff in CSP supported organisations. It typically supports organisations to meet local service gaps and provide access to services and facilities that would otherwise generally be unavailable. Almost €47 million will be provided under the Programme in 2020.
The Minister concluded:
I have to thank the management and staff of all the CSP supported organisations for carrying out the invaluable work they do in their local communities.
Pobal will identify qualifying organisations through a desk-based financial assessment of supported organisations. This is based primarily on a financial analysis of available information. Organisations will not be asked to apply directly for support. Upon qualifying for support Pobal will administer the funding directly to organisations.
Notes for editors:
The CSP currently supports community-based organisations to provide local social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model, providing a contribution towards the cost of staff in CSP organisations. It typically supports organisations to meet local service gaps and provide access to services and facilities that would otherwise generally be unavailable. Eligible organisations are supported under three strands –
Strand 1 – Community Halls and Facilities
Strand 2 – Community Services for Disadvantaged Communities
Strand 3 – Community Organisations Employing People Distant from the Labour Market.
The CSP is not a labour activation programme and funding is provided to community organisations as a fixed contribution towards the cost of employing a manager and/or an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs). The CSP provides €19,033 per FTE and €32,000 per manager. The contribution is based on a 39 hour working week. More than €46m is allocated to the programme in 2019, supporting approx. 1,650 FTEs and 300 manager positions.
The contribution is not aligned with the minimum wage and CSP supported organisations are expected to contribute to the cost of the funded positions and pay a reasonable and adequate rate of pay in line with market rates. At a minimum, organisations are expected to meet the minimum wage for all FTE positions.
2020 Support Fund
The 2020 Support Fund will be tailored to meet the needs of the organisation rather than providing a set amount per FTE, with funding provided on a sliding scale up to a maximum of €1,200 per FTE based on a detailed assessment of financial viability.
2020 Appeals Process
Organisations that are not successful in meeting the specified criteria to be included in the 2020 Support Fund, will be given an opportunity to appeal the decision.