Media Release: Trading for Impact: Ministers Calleary and Buttimer announce €4 million investment to support social enterprises
Preasráiteas
Dé Máirt, 20 Bealtaine 2025
Trádáil le haghaidh Tionchair: Infheistíocht €4 mhilliún chun tacú le fiontair shóisialta Fógartha ag an Aire Calleary agus ag an Aire Buttimer
- Gheobhaidh 42 fiontar sóisialta maoiniú idir €15,000 agus €100,000.
- Gheobhaidh 83 fiontar sóisialta maoiniú idir €1,500 agus €15,000.
- Infheistíochtaí a rinneadh tríd den Scéim Fiontraíocht Shóisialta a Fhás faoi Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin.
D’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe, Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary, agus an tAire Stáit sa Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, Jerry Buttimer, inniu (xxx Bealtaine, 2025) infheistíocht €4 mhilliún chun tacú le fiontair shóisialta ar fud na tíre.
Is é cuspóir an chiste tacaíochtaí deontais chaipitil a chur ar fáil chun cabhrú le fiontair shóisialta ar fud na hÉireann a gcuspóirí sóisialta, comhshaoil nó eacnamaíocha a bhaint amach. Úsáidfear an maoiniú a chuirfear ar fáil le haghaidh oibreacha tógála, deisiúcháin, athchóirithe, nó chun innealra, feithiclí nó trealamh nua a cheannach.
I measc samplaí de na Fiontair Shóisialta a bhainfidh tairbhe as an scéim tá:
- Ionad Ealaíon Halla an Línéadaigh CTR – €96,989: Chun réimse uasghráduithe agus feabhsúchán a mhaoiniú, lena n-áirítear méadú ar inrochtaineacht agus oifig ticéad, teilgeoir agus scáileán nua a shuiteáil.
- Grúpa Lucht Siúil na Gaillimhe (ag trádáil mar Bounceback Recycling) – €90,357:Maoiniú chun trealamh ardchumais agus innealra iompair a cheannach chun cumas táirgthe na heagraíochta seo agus an t-éileamh ar sheirbhísí a leathnú.
- Cumann Pobail an Chraoslaigh CTR – €12,471: Maoiniú chun rampa rochtana, cathaoireacha, táblaí fillte, cistin, scáileán idirghníomhach, dallóga agus CCTV a shuiteáil agus suíomh gréasáin a fhorbairt chun tacú le fás.
- Benchspace Cork CTR – €78,187: Maoiniú chun trealamh déantúsaíochta digiteach a chur ar fáil do dhéantóirí cónaithe Benchspace agus a dtairiscint oiliúna, rud a mhéadóidh inrochtaineacht, líon na ndaoine a gheobhaidh tacaíocht agus ioncam.
- Ionad Carmichael do Ghrúpaí Deonacha – €11,418: Maoiniú chun trealamh fuaime nua a uasdátú, chun cur ar chumas na heagraíochta páirt a ghlacadh in imeachtaí nua sa phobal.
- Vantastic CTR – €74,573: Maoiniú chun dhá charr atá inrochtana do chathaoireacha rothaí a cheannach le haghaidh seirbhísí ar cíos, a chuirfidh seirbhís iompair inrochtana ar fáil do dhaoine a bhfuil deacrachtaí soghluaisteachta nó míchumas orthu.
Agus na leithdháiltí á bhfógairt aige, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Tá ríméad orm a dhearbhú inniu go mbainfidh 125 fiontar sóisialta tairbhe as an gCiste Fiontraíocht Shóisialta a Fhás DAF. Cuirfidh an maoiniú seo ar chumas fiontair shóisialta na seirbhísí ríthábhachtacha a chuireann siad ar fáil i bpobail ar fud na hÉireann a fhorbairt agus a leathnú go díreach.
“Tá meas iomlán agam ar an obair luachmhar atá déanta agus tá an obair luachmhar sin atá déanta ag fiontair shóisialta ar fud na tíre feicthe agam agus tá áthas orm a bheith in ann tacú leis na heagraíochtaí sin.
“Mar a léirítear i Suirbhé 2023 ar Fhiontair Shóisialta, tá éagsúlacht mhór le hearnáil na fiontraíochta sóisialta in Éirinn. Mar aitheantas air sin, cuireadh Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin atá ar fáil don Roinn seo in oiriúint go sonrach chun freastal bainteach le riachtanais éagsúla na n-eagraíochtaí, agus dhá shnáithe bainteach le maoiniú: ceann amháin le deontais suas le €15,000 agus an dara snáithe, do dheontais suas le €100,000, chun freastal ar riachtanais na n-eagraíochtaí sin a dteastaíonn infheistíocht níos mó uathu.
“Is é príomhchuspóir an Bheartais Náisiúnta Fiontraíochta Sóisialta a seoladh i mí Iúil seo caite ná cabhrú le fiontraíocht shóisialta láidir agus ardtionchair a fhorbairt agus a chothú in Éirinn. Is fianaise fhollasach é an maoiniú atá á fhógairt inniu ar thacaíocht leanúnach an rialtais don earnáil thábhachtach seo”.
Agus an maoiniú á fhógairt inniu aige, dúirt an tAire Buttimer freisin:
“Is cúis mhór áthais dom an maoiniú seo a fhógairt a rachaidh chun tairbhe go díreach do 125 eagraíocht ar fud na tíre. Tá earnáil na fiontraíochta sóisialta in Éirinn ag fás i gcónaí agus tá ról níos tábhachtaí anois aici i saol sóisialta agus eacnamaíoch na tíre seo.Agus an maoiniú seo a fhógairt anseo inniu, táimid ag leanúint ar aghaidh ag tógáil ar an móiminteam sin agus á fhás.
“Tá tábhacht le fiontair shóisialta láidre dár bpobail áitiúla, agus tá ról lárnach acu chun poist a chruthú, aghaidh a thabhairt ar dhúshláin shóisialta, agus sochaí níos cuimsithí a chothú. Cuirfidh an maoiniú seo tacaíocht phraiticiúil ar fáil d’fhiontair shóisialta chun cabhrú leo a chinntiú gur féidir leo a gcuid áiseanna agus an trealamh a theastaíonn uathu chun tacú lena bpobail a fheabhsú agus a fhorbairt.
“Bhí an-éileamh ar an Scéim seo agus léiríonn sé sin go soiléir an riachtanas atá ann infheistíocht leanúnach a dhéanamh agus tacú leis na Fiontair Shóisialta.”
Tá liosta de na Fiontair Shóisialta a moladh faoi Shnáithe A den Chiste Fiontraíocht Shóisialta a Fhás leagtha amach in Aguisín A.
Tá liosta de na Fiontair Shóisialta a moladh faoi Shnáithe B den Chiste Fiontraíocht Shóisialta a Fhás leagtha amach in Aguisín B.
Trading for Impact: Ministers Calleary and Buttimer announce
€4 million investment to support social enterprises
- 42 social enterprises will receive funding of between €15,000 and €100,000.
- 83 social enterprises will receive funding of between €1,500 and €15,000.
- Investments made through the Growing Social Enterprise Scheme supported by the Dormant Accounts Fund.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary,TD, and the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Jerry Buttimer, TD, today (Tuesday 20th May, 2025) jointly announced a €4 million investment to support social enterprises nationwide.
The Ministers made the announcement while visiting FoodCloud in Tallaght, Co. Dublin. FoodCloud, a social enterprise working to reduce food waste, will receive €97,000 to purchase refrigerated vehicles so they can safely deliver food to community and voluntary organisations.
The purpose of the fund is to provide capital grant supports to assist social enterprises across Ireland to achieve their social, environmental or economic objectives. The funding provided will be used for building works, repairs, refurbishments, or for the purchase of new machinery, vehicles or equipment.
Examples of the Social Enterprises to benefit under the scheme include:
· The Linenhall Arts Centre CLG – €96,989: To fund a range of upgrades and improvements including increased accessibility and installing a new box office, projector and screen.
· Galway Traveller Group (Trading as Bounceback Recycling) – €90,357: To fund the purchase of high capacity equipment and transport machinery to expand this organisation’s production capacity and demand for services.
· Creeslough Community Association CLG – €12,471: To fund an access ramp, chairs, folding tables, kitchenette, interactive screen, blinds and CCTV and the development of a website to support growth.
· Benchspace Cork CLG – €78,187: To fund digital manufacturing equipment for Benchspace’s residential makers and their training offering, which will increase accessibility, numbers of people supported and income.
· Carmichael Centre For Voluntary Groups – €11,418: To fund new updated audio equipment, to enable the organisation to branch into new events within the community.
· Vantastic CLG – €74,573: To fund the purchase of two wheelchair-accessible cars for rental services, providing accessible transport services to people with mobility difficulties or disabilities.
Announcing the allocations, Minister Calleary said:
“I am delighted to confirm today that 125 social enterprises will benefit under the DAF Growing Social Enterprise Fund. This funding will directly enable social enterprises to develop and expand the vital services that they provide in communities all across Ireland.
“I fully appreciate, and have seen first-hand, the invaluable work carried out by social enterprises around the country and I am pleased to be able to support these organisations.
“As indicated in the 2023 Survey of Social Enterprises, the social enterprise sector in Ireland is characterised by great diversity. In recognition of this, the Dormant Accounts Funding available to my department was specifically tailored to meet the varied needs of organisations, with two funding strands: one with grants up to €15,000 and the second, with grants up to €100,000, to meet the needs of those organisations requiring a more substantive investment.
“The key objective of Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy launched last July is to help cultivate and sustain strong and impactful social enterprise in Ireland. The funding being announced today is tangible evidence of the government’s continuing support for this important sector”.
Also announcing the funding today, Minister Buttimer said:
“It gives me great pleasure to announce this funding which will directly benefit 125 organisations around the country. The social enterprise sector in Ireland continues to grow and is playing an increasingly important role in the social and economic life of this country. By announcing this funding here today, we are continuing to build on and grow this momentum.
“Strong social enterprises are important for our local communities, and play a crucial role in creating jobs, addressing social challenges, and fostering a more inclusive society. This funding will provide practical support to social enterprises to help them to ensure that they can improve and enhance their facilities and equipment which they need to support their communities.
“The response to this Scheme was overwhelming which clearly demonstrates the requirement to continually invest and support our Social Enterprises.”
A list of recommended Social Enterprises under Strand A of the Growing Social Enterprise Fund is set out in Appendix A.
A list of recommended Social Enterprises under Strand B of the Growing Social Enterprise Fund is set out in Appendix B.