Local community groups need new EU fund - Mullooly

European election candidate Ciaran Mullooly is calling for the provision of a 'special bridging finance fund',exclusively for community projects, in order to assist them in applying for State and EU funding.

The former RTÉ journalist was speaking as he toured the Midlands-Northwest constituency, and he said social enterprises around the country were doing work on the ground that the government should be doing.

"Groups of volunteers are operating community facilities, cleaning up towns, providing meals on wheels, and other social services. They give their time and expertise freely. They deserve to have the job of work they are doing made a little bit easier," he said.

The Independent Ireland candidate said the requirement to fully fund grant applications by community groups, before they can draw down the money, is making it difficult, and in some cases nearly impossible, for valuable community projects to succeed.

"There are many worthwhile projects which never get off the ground," Mr Mullooly said.

"This is because the applicant group of volunteers doesn't have the money to fully pay for the project, in advance, which is a requirement of most grants. If they had the money, they wouldn't need the grant in the first place.

"The grant process is cumbersome and requires that any monies applied for, have had to be spent, before the grant can be paid. This is putting an unreasonable burden on these volunteers."

Mr Mullooly is proposing that an EU fund be established which would be exclusively available to social enterprise groups, at low interest rates.

He said that a survey carried out by IPSOS MRBI, after the Covid pandemic, confirmed that up to one million people, a fifth of the population, was engaged in unpaid voluntary activity in Ireland, supporting and assisting those in the vulnerable sector.

"This will recognise the significant personal contribution made by the voluntary sector to the economic development of the country," he said.

"Independent Ireland will completely review the existing procedures for the claim process for grants for CLGs, Co-ops and other entities.

"With the assistance of the European Commission and the parliament, we will introduce changes to make the process easier."