DRCD Press Office: Monday, 11th May 2020

Minister Ring opens application process for €35 million COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises

Online application process for Stability Fund administered by Pobal opens today

Mr Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, has today (Monday 11th May) announced the opening of the online application system for the €35 million COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises.

Following last Friday’s announcement of a €40 million funding package for the sector, applications are now being invited for the €35 million Stability Fund. The Fund 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 new Stability Fund will provide a once off grant to qualifying organisations. The Fund 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 will be required to demonstrate the impact that the crisis has had on their services and applications will be prioritised according to need. Pobal (www.pobal.ie), which works on behalf of Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development, will administer the Stability Fund on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Speaking in relation to the fund, Minister Ring said:

“The Stability Fund will assist charities, social enterprises and community and voluntary organisations to weather the crisis and allow them to maintain their valuable services. As a society we depend greatly on these organisations and I would like to thank them for their contribution to the inspiring community response to the current crisis.

“The application process for the Stability Fund is straightforward. It will be open for a period of ten days in order to facilitate organisations that wish to be considered for funding. A link to the application process can be found on my Department’s website. Pobal have also prepared full additional information regarding the application process which can also be found at that link.”

The Minister added:

“I would encourage all eligible charities, social enterprises and community and voluntary organisations to fully engage with the application process and contact Pobal at stabilityscheme@pobal.ie  if you have any queries. All of the details can be found on both my Departments website www.gov.ie/drcd and the website of Pobal www.pobal.ie.”

This new funding is being provided in addition to more than €45 million in funding, announced last November, for the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020, which allocated funding for 43 separate measures to be delivered across nine Government Departments to benefit disadvantaged groups.