Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 June 2024
45. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports that are in place from her Department to assist organisations that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage EU funding. [26463/24]
View answerMy Department provides a range of supports to build capacity in community organisations across the country. With regard to EU funding programmes in particular:
• SICAP is Government’s primary social inclusion intervention, co-funded by Government and the European Social Fund Plus. The new iteration of the programme features a dedicated core area of work called Community Animation, which focuses on building capacity in community representative structures, establishing new community groups and social enterprises, and empowering communities to lead out on identifying their own needs and sustainably managing their response to challenges into the future.
• The newly established Social Innovation measures, under the European Social Fund Plus, have the objective of enhancing capacity within organisations involved in social innovation and social enterprise, aiming to enhance capacity of such organisations in relation to operations, governance and sustainability.
• Under the PEACEPLUS Programme my Department has worked with Special EU Programmes Body and relevant Northern Ireland Departments, on guidance documents, calls for applications and pre-application support workshops for potential applicants. In addition, consultants are available to support potential applicants for each of the investment areas.
• With regard to the LEADER programme, it is delivered through Local Action Groups and their Implementing Partners, who work on the ground with prospective applicants to help guide them through the LEADER application process and work with them to see their projects through to completion.
More generally, my Department has a strong focus on building capacity of organisations within the community and voluntary sector. Under Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment process is nearing completion, and it is my Department’s intention to work with the sector to implement the recommendations in order to meet the identified needs.
