Social Enterprise Sector

4. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his plans to scale up the delivery of essential services through social enterprises; if he plans to invest in not-for-profit delivery of essential services through the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, particularly for the delivery of community childcare; and if he will make…

957. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 349 of 1 July 2026, whether he consider SICAP to constitute a significant source of start-up funding for social enterprises given that, for every €1,000 allocated through SICAP, approximately €2.15 is awarded to social enterprises, only around 1.5% of social enter…

349. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he considers the existing suite of State supports for social enterprises including the Community Services Programme, SICAP and local enterprise office supports adequate to address persistent market failure across the sector, given that only 48.5% of social enterprise income is currently derived fro…

343. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his views on the proposal by an organisation (details supplied), under which the Government will support social enterprises to maximise trading income where possible while providing sustained State co-funding and cost relief in areas of market failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

345. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will introduce a proportionate financial reporting option under Circular 13/2014, allowing Community Services Programme-funded social enterprises with an annual income below €250,000 to submit non-audited financial statements in place of audited accounts, consistent with the audit exemption thr…

346. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he accepts that the majority of social enterprises in Ireland operate in areas of persistent market failure, delivering services that are needed but cannot be made commercially self-sustaining, rather than functioning as conventional, profit-maximising market actors; and if he will make a statement o…

295. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether he will review the membership of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum to ensure that the social enterprise sector, including Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), is appropriately represented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47772/26]

475. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration has been given to the introduction of a targeted PRSI rebate or reduced employer PRSI contribution for social enterprises employing lower paid workers; whether his Department has undertaken any assessment of the potential impact such a measure will have on employment retention and job creation within the so…

937. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether his Department has assessed the audit and compliance costs incurred by small social enterprises in receipt of public funding; whether he is aware of reports that some organisations are paying in excess of €7,000 annually in audit fees; and the measures under consideration to ensure governa…

938. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether he will review the community services programme in view of concerns that it functions as a partial co-funding model in practice, requiring social enterprises to subsidise core service delivery from non-State income sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47773/26]

939. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total allocation provided by his Department under the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, SICAP, in each year from 2015 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47781/26]

940. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total amount of funding drawn down under SICAP in each year from 2015 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47782/26]

941. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount allocated under SICAP to each local community development committee and each SICAP programme implementer or contract area in each year from 2015 to 2026, in tabular form, with the information provided separately for each SICAP lot or contract area and implementer organisation, includ…

942. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount of funding drawn down under SICAP by each LCDC and each SICAP programme implementer or contract area in each year from 2015 to 2026, in tabular form, with the information provided separately for each SICAP lot or contract area and implementer organisation, including any changes in co…

943. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total funding allocated and expended under the SICAP new arrivals programme in each year from 2022 to date; the budget subhead under which such expenditure is recorded, in tabular form. [47785/26]

944. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount of SICAP new arrivals funding allocated to each LCDC area and each SICAP programme implementer, in each year from 2022 to date, in tabular form. [47786/26]

945. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of full-time equivalent staff funded through SICAP new arrivals funding in each year from 2022 to date, broken down by SICAP programme implementer. [47787/26]

946. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether any funding provided under the SICAP new arrivals programme originates from, or is transferred from, another Department; if so, the Departments concerned; the amount transferred in each year since 2022; and the budget subhead from which the funding was provided. [47788/26]

111. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding available for community cafés to ensure financial viability of essential social enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38364/26]

142. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for an update on the sustaining social enterprise scheme 2026-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38002/26]

155. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if funding can be made available for community cafés to ensure financial viability of essential social enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38363/26]

21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the reason that almost two years into the implementation of the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024–2027 a number of key milestones have been missed; the actions he is taking to ensure that no further targets are missed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22993/26]

471. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the timeline for the introduction of an annual social enterprise empowerment and development allocation to support sustainable job creation, affordable childcare provision and community-based services, including disability supports, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a…

37. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the social enterprise model and encourage entrepreneurship that delivers both economic and social value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13249/26]

811. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) for social farming initiatives for the years 2020-2025; the projects funded under this initiative; the outcomes from same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4148/26]