Eisiúint Meáin: Fograíonn an tAire Calleary agus an tAire Buttimer méadú maoinithe do Chlár na Seirbhísí Pobail
Media Release
Wednesday, 17th December 2025
Minister Calleary and Minister Buttimer announce increased funding to the Community Services Programme
- Over 400 community organisations nationwide to benefit from increased funding
- 9 new organisations to join the programme in 2026
- Over 50 organisations set to benefit from a higher funding category
- 11 organisations’ contracts extended to end 2027
- Plans to open the CSP Programme to new applications early next year
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, have today (Wednesday, 17 December 2025) announced increased funding for over 400 organisations nationwide currently supported under the Community Services Programme (CSP).
The revised funding rates to be applied from 1 January 2026 will see:
- an increase of €1,260 in the annual contribution per post to organisations categorised as having a high funding need; and
- an increase of €1,160 in the annual contribution per post for CSP organisations categorised as having a medium funding need; and,
- an increase of €400 per annum to all 351 CSP-supported manager positions across all funding categories.
55 CSP-supported organisations are set to move to a higher funding category. This is a targeted measure to focus additional support on organisations with evident financial need.
A further 9 organisations, including Ballinamore Community Hall CLG trading as The Island Theatre, are now set to join the CSP programme commencing early 2026. This will support employment for 11 full-time posts and 6 managers and will bring the total number of organisations supported to 435 in 2026.
In addition, 11 organisations with an original contract end date of 31 December 2025 have had their contracts extended for a further 2 years.
Ministers Calleary and Buttimer also announced that there will be an open call for new organisations to join the CSP Programme in early 2026.
Welcoming the increased funding, Minister Calleary said:
“My Department’s Community Services Programme plays a vital role in ensuring essential services reach communities nationwide. It addresses local needs and delivers effective, targeted, responses to support people where it matters most. I am very pleased to announce that we are now in a position to strengthen this support with additional funding for 2026. This is the fourth increase in funding rates that has been approved since the introduction in 2023 of a new funding model for the Programme.”
Speaking during a visit to the Island Theatre in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, Minister Buttimer added:
“I am delighted to be part of this announcement of additional funding for posts supported under the Community Services Programme. I am very aware of the challenges community organisations are facing and I am fully committed to working closely with the sector to address them. I hope this increase in contributions will enable CSP-supported organisations to continue to deliver services in the communities where they are so greatly needed.”
The CSP Programme supports the delivery of over 440 services nationally via 426 community organisations to provide local social, economic, and environmental services through a social enterprise model. The Programme focuses on urban and rural communities where public and private sector services are lacking, either through geographical or social isolation or because of demand deficits. The CSP Programme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards the cost of each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.
As part of the Budget 2026 package announced in October, the CSP Programme was allocated an additional €4m, bringing its total funding allocation for 2026 to €59.4m.
Eisiúint Meáin
Dé Céadaoin, 6 Nollaig 2025
Fograíonn an tAire Calleary agus an tAire Buttimer méadú maoinithe do chlár na Seirbhísí Pobail
- Bainfidh níos mó ná 400 eagraíocht phobail ar fud na tíre leas as méadú maoinithe
- Glacfaidh 9 n-eagraíocht nua páirt sa chlár in 2026
- Bainfidh níos mó ná 50 eagraíocht leas as catagóir maoinithe níos airde
- Cuirfear síneadh le conarthaí 11 eagraíocht go dtí deireadh 2027
- Pleananna chun clár na Seirbhísí Pobail a oscailt d’iarratais nua go luath an bhliain seo chugainn
Inniu (Dé Céadaoin, 17 Nollaig 2025) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, agus an tAire Stáit le freagracht as Forbairt Pobail agus Carthanachtaí, Jerry Buttimer TD, maoiniú méadaithe do bhreis is 400 eagraíocht ar fud na tíre a fhaigheann tacaíocht faoi láthair faoi chlár na Seirbhísí Pobail.
Mar gheall ar athbhreithniú ar na rátaí maoinithe a chuirfear i bhfeidhm ón 1 Eanáir 2026:
- Déanfar an ranníocaíocht bhliantúil in aghaidh an phoist a mhéadú faoi €1,260 d’eagraíochtaí atá rangaithe mar eagraíochtaí a bhfuil riachtanas maoinithe ard acu; agus
- Déanfar an ranníocaíocht bhliantúil in aghaidh an phoist a mhéadú faoi €1,160 d’eagraíochtaí CSP atá rangaithe mar eagraíochtaí a bhfuil riachtanas maoinithe meánach acu; agus,
- Déanfar 351 post bainisteoirí a mhéadú faoi €400 in aghaidh na bliana a fhaigheann tacaíocht ó CSP ar fud na gcatagóirí maoinithe uile.
Aistreofar 55 eagraíocht a fhaigheann tacaíocht ó CSP go catagóir maoinithe níos airde. Is beart spriocdhírithe é seo chun tacaíocht bhreise a dhíriú ar eagraíochtaí a bhfuil gá soiléir airgeadais acu.
Glacfaidh naoi n-eagraíocht eile, lena n-áirítear Ballinamore Community Hall CLG ag trádáil mar The Island Theatre, páirt i gclár na Seirbhísí Pobail ag tosú go luath in 2026. Tacóidh sé seo le fostaíocht 11 phost lánaimseartha agus sé bhainisteoir agus tabharfaidh sé líon iomlán na n-eagraíochtaí a fhaigheann tacaíocht suas go 435 in 2026.
Ina theannta sin, cuirfear síneadh dhá bhliain eile ar fáil 11 eagraíocht a raibh dáta deiridh conartha bunaidh acu ar an 31 Nollaig 2025.
D’fhógair na hAirí Calleary agus Buttimer freisin go mbeidh gairm oscailte ann ar eagraíochtaí nua chun páirt a ghlacadh i gclár na Seirbhísí Pobail go luath in 2026.
Ag cur fáilte roimh mhéadú an mhaoinithe, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Tá ról ríthábhachtach ag clár Seirbhísí Pobail mo Roinne chun a chinntiú go sroicheann seirbhísí riachtanacha pobail ar fud na tíre. Freastalaíonn an clár ar riachtanais áitiúla agus seachadann sé freagraí éifeachtacha spriocdhírithe chun tacú le daoine. Tá an-áthas orm a fhógairt go bhfuilimid in ann anois an tacaíocht seo a neartú le maoiniú breise do 2026. Seo an ceathrú méadú ar rátaí maoinithe a ceadaíodh ó tugadh isteach samhail nua maoinithe don chlár in 2023.”
Ag labhairt le linn cuairte ar Amharclann an Oileáin i Halla Phobal Bhaile an Átha Mhóir i gcontae Liatroma, dúirt an tAire Buttimer:
“Tá áthas orm an fógra seo a dhéanamh faoi mhaoiniú breise do phoist a fhaigheann tacaíocht faoi chlár na Seirbhísí Pobail. Tuigim na dúshláin go rímhaith atá roimh eagraíochtaí pobail agus táim tiomanta go hiomlán d’oibriú go dlúth leis an earnáil chun aghaidh a thabhairt orthu. Tá súil agam go gcuirfidh an méadú seo ar ranníocaíochtaí ar chumas eagraíochtaí a fhaigheann tacaíocht ó CSP leanúint de sheirbhísí a sholáthar sna pobail ina bhfuil an oiread sin gá leo.”
Tacaíonn CSP le seachadadh níos mó ná 440 seirbhís ar fud na tíre trí 426 eagraíocht phobail chun seirbhísí sóisialta, eacnamaíocha agus comhshaoil áitiúla a sholáthar trí mhúnla fiontraíochta sóisialta. Díríonn an Clár ar phobail uirbeacha agus tuaithe ina bhfuil easpa seirbhísí san earnáil phoiblí agus phríobháideach, bíodh sé sin de bharr aonrú geografach nó sóisialta nó mar gheall ar easnaimh éilimh. Soláthraíonn CSP ranníocaíocht chómhaoinithe bhliantúil i dtreo chostas gach poist lánaimseartha choibhéiseach atá á thacú, agus, nuair is gá, i dtreo chostas bainisteoir a fhostú.
Mar chuid de Bhuiséad 2026 a fógraíodh i mí Dheireadh Fómhair, leithdháileadh €4m breise ar CSP, rud a thugann a leithdháileadh maoinithe iomlán do 2026 go €59.4m.