Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 May 2026
594. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding streams that are currently available through his Department to support registered charities delivering essential community services, including counselling, mental health and wellbeing supports; and if he will outline the eligibility criteria which apply. [33865/26]
View answer595. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether his Department provides match-funding, bridging supports or emergency sustainability funding to registered charities providing essential community-based services; and if he will provide details of any such schemes currently in place. [33866/26]
View answer596. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide a list of all current funding programmes and grant schemes administered by his Department, or through agencies funded by his Department, which may be accessed by registered charities providing community-based counselling and wellbeing supports; and to confirm which schemes are expected to open for applications in 2026. [33867/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 594, 595 and 596 together.
My Department’s Community Services Programme supports community organisations, including registered charities to provide local social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model. A further nine organisations, which were waitlisted from the 2023 Open Call, are approved to join the CSP Programme in 2026 bringing the total number of funded organisations to 435 in 2026.
An allocation of €59.4m was made in Budget 2026 to support the CSP Programme for 2025, an increase of €4m from 2025, which currently provides funding towards 1,717 full-time equivalents and 350 manager positions.
The Community Services Programme provides a contribution towards the employment costs of approved positions only and does not provide match-funding, bridging supports or emergency sustainability funding to organisations providing community-based services. The CSP contribution is not aligned to the minimum wage and is not intended to meet the full salary cost of supported posts. Each organisation, as an employer, is required to generate income to fully meet wage costs and cover all other operating costs involved in running the organisation. This approach is central to operating on a social enterprise mode and is a key feature of the CSP Programme.
On Monday 30th of March 2026, I announced an Open Call for Applications under the CSP Programme in line with a commitment made in the Programme for Government. Details of this Open Call, including eligible community services and organisations, application forms and guidelines are now available on Pobal’s website www.pobal.ie/programmes/community-services-programme-csp/.
together with information in relation to the existing Community Services Programme 2023 to 2027. The application window closes at 5pm on Friday 8th May.
Counselling and professional medical services are not eligible for support under the current Open Call for new organisations to join the Community Services Programme. However, where an organisation’s primary activity is not eligible for funding under this open call, the organisation nevertheless may apply in respect of a separate and distinct service e.g. provision of respite services for elderly people in their local community, provided that the service is owned, managed and delivered by the applicant organisation, and the service is clearly distinct and meets the programmes strategic objectives, horizontal principles and is sufficiently developed i.e. operationally ready from 1 January 2027.
Charities providing counselling and professional medical services should contact the HSE in relation to funding streams that may be available for these services.
