Press Release, 27 July 2020

• €4.1 million support package to benefit 101 organisations
• Funding aimed at providing immediate assistance to community and voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises
• Cash injections for organisations that provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society
• Stability funding being released quickly with further tranches to be announced

Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development and the Islands, Ms Heather Humphreys TD and Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Mr Roderic O’Gorman announced funding of €4.1 million to 101 organisations under the COVID-19 Stability Fund.

This funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund is designed to support community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises that are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once-off cash injections of between €2,000 and €200,000 are being awarded to qualifying organisations that provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society. This will help with short term cash flow issues caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

This is on top of Tranche One of the funding, which was announced on the 26th June 2020 and benefitted 179 organisations.

These organisations provide services in a diverse range of areas including addiction support, disability services, health and wellbeing, youth services and social services and supports for disadvantaged individuals and communities.

Some of the successful applicants today include:

• Empowerment Plus – €200,000
• Navan Travellers Workshops Company Limited By Guarantee – €59,731
• A Little Lifetime Foundation – €39,467
• Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán Teo – €29,564
• Kerry Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre – €25,066

Speaking this morning, Minister Humphreys said:

“I am delighted to join with my colleagues, Ministers O’Gorman and O’Brien, to announce this support package aimed at organisations that provide hugely valuable services to our most vulnerable communities.

“The purpose of the stability fund is to provide immediate, short term cash flow to those organisations that are unable to carry out their usual fundraising or trading activity as a result of the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude and admiration for these organisations for the work that they do and I hope the funding provided today will assist them to continue to provide their valuable services to communities all over Ireland.”

Minister O’Gorman said:

“I very much welcome today’s announcement of a further tranche of supports to organisations in the community and voluntary, charity and social enterprise sectors.  Organisations in this sector have played a central role in the wider community response to the Covid 19 pandemic, in many cases supporting isolated and often vulnerable people.  They are deserving of our deep appreciation for the valuable work that was carried out in very difficult circumstances.  I hope that the supports that I and my colleague Minister Humphreys are announcing today will assist these organisations as they continue with their good works”.

Joe O’Brien TD, Minister for State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities added:

“This funding will provide much needed support to organisations that are at the heart of our communities at a time when their communities need them the most. We owe a great debt to these organisations and I hope that this funding will go some way to show our appreciation for their work and the supports and services they provide in general and particularly during this difficult time”.

Due to the considerable interest in the COVID-19 Stability Fund and in order to ensure that funding is released as quickly as possible, applicants are being considered in smaller groupings and the funding being announced today is the second tranche. There remains a small number of organisations that have applied for funding where further checks are ongoing. Additional tranches will be announced shortly.

A full list of successful applicants under Tranche Two is available here.

ENDS

Contact:

The Department of Rural and Community Development Press Office

076-1006843 / 087-1734633

[email protected]

Notes for editors:

Following the announcement of a €40 million funding package for the sector, applications were invited for the €35 million Stability Scheme. The Stability Scheme, administered by Pobal, opened for applications from 11th – 21st May 2020. A total of 1,027 applications were received in that period.

The Stability Scheme will provide immediate, short term cash flow to qualifying organisations which provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society. The funding will be prioritised for those organisations which are most in need and have seen their trading and/or fundraising income drop significantly during the crisis.

With funding being provided from the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Stability Scheme will provide a once off grant to qualifying organisations. In line with the objectives of the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Stability Scheme will focus on organisations providing supports and services in the following sectors:

• Health and Social Care (including addiction, disability and mental health)
• Child and Family Services (including counselling/therapies)
• Domestic/Sexual/Gender based violence
• Housing/Homelessness
• Community Services (e.g. meals on wheels/befriending services/old age supports/vulnerable people’s support groups etc.)
• Community Education Sector

Organisations were required to demonstrate the impact that the crisis has had on their services and applications will be prioritised according to need. Pobal, which works on behalf of Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development, administers the Stability Fund on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development.