Joe O'Brien - Green Party
Additional €10M in funding for community and voluntary organisations, charities, and social enterprises announces minister Joe O’Brien
26th February, 2021
Organisations in Fingal can benefit from €10 million fund which builds on from €45 million stability fund scheme
Minister for Charities and Community Development, and Fingal TD, Joe O’Brien, announced an additional €10M to support a new round of applications under the COVID19 Stability Fund in the revised Resilience and Recovery Plan.
Following on from the launch of the €45 million dormant accounts package in 2020 which supported over 600 organisations, including many based in Fingal, to continue to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities, this funding call will support applications for an additional €10 million euro stability fund. This fund will provide a level of support to qualifying organisations who are most in need and have seen their trading and/or fundraising income drop significantly during the crisis.
In line with the framework of the Dormant Accounts fund, and the previous round, this iteration of the Stability Fund will be focusing on supporting organisations providing critical supports and services to marginalised communities.
Pobal will administer the Stability Fund on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development, with details of the online application process to be published soon.
Speaking about the fund, Minister O’Brien said;
“I am very pleased to announce the 2021 round of the COVID Stability Fund. When the scheme was initially established in 2020, it was believed that social restrictions would be with us for a short period. With the evolving situation, it became necessary to examine the continuing impact of public health measures on the ability of community and voluntary organisations to generate income and deliver basic services.”
“I understand the difficulties charities may have in accessing other supports and I’m delighted that the fund will reopen to support potentially eligible organisations who have not been supported in other ways, who have tried to weather the storm themselves but who now need some help.
“There will be more details in the next few weeks regarding the application process, and would encourage all eligible charities, social enterprises and community and voluntary organisations based in Fingal to fully engage with the application process when it opens.”
“I commend the resilience and adaptability our organisations in Fingal have shown in trying to make up the shortfall through online fundraising and I am always inspired by the innovation shown in a sector filled with determined change-makers and activists. I again extend my most heartfelt thanks to you all for the vital work you do.”
For more information please contact karen.power@oireachtas.ie