Community Services Programme given €1 million boost
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD, has announced that he has approved funding in excess of €1 million to continue the Community Services Programme (CSP) Support Fund.
The CSP 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 supported organisations. It typically supports organisations to meet local service gaps and provide access to services and facilities that would otherwise generally be unavailable.
The funding will help these CSPs pay their staff after the increase in the minimum wage at the start of the month, the Minister said.
“I’m delighted that the Government has decided to increase the national minimum wage once again. The CSP Support Fund will assist 263 CSP supported organisations. This is an increase of over 100 organisations from the 2016 levels," he said.
“The Fund will greatly assist organisations that are struggling to meet the minimum wage levels. I have increased the contribution per full-time equivalent from €350 to €1,100.”
Groups who will benefit from Support Fund include
- Tralee Community Care which provides daily hot meals to older people and to a local crèche and special needs school
- Shuttle Knit, an organisation staffed by women from the traveller community in Co Wicklow which creates knitwear and embroidery
- Energy Action which provides home insulation and energy efficiency services for older people in the Dublin area
