Vol. 1002 Thursday, No. 7 17 December 2020 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Ceisteanna - Questions 890 17/12/2020A00200Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions 890 17/12/2020A00300Voluntary Sector ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������890 17/12/2020A01200Urban Renewal Schemes 892 17/12/2020B00600LEADER Programmes 894 17/12/2020C00500Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions 896 17/12/2020C00600Broadband Infrastructure 896 17/12/2020E00400Island Communities 901 17/12/2020F00850Rural Regeneration and Development Fund 903 17/12/2020F01750Remote Working ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������904 17/12/2020H00050Town and Village Renewal Scheme 907 17/12/2020H00750Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 909 17/12/2020J00700Rural Recreation Policy 911 17/12/2020K00250Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme 913 17/12/2020K00725Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions 914 17/12/2020K00750Employment Rights 914 17/12/2020L00550Covid-19 Pandemic 917 17/12/2020M00450Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 919 17/12/2020N00400Corporate Governance 921 17/12/2020N01200Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 923 17/12/2020O00550National Development Plan 925 17/12/2020P00500Brexit Supports 926 17/12/2020P01400Examinership Arrangements 929 17/12/2020Q00700Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 931 17/12/2020R00400Enterprise Support Services 932 17/12/2020S00450Company Law 934 17/12/2020T00300Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders’ Questions 937 17/12/2020CC00200Appropriation Bill 2020: Second and Subsequent Stages ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������956 17/12/2020OO00100Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages 977 17/12/2020OO01100Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages 978 17/12/2020BBB00500Covid-19 Task Force: Statements 1008 17/12/2020OOO00200Teachtaireacht ón Seanad - Message from Seanad 1035 17/12/2020OOO00400Brexit Readiness for the End of the Transition Period: Statements 1035 17/12/2020ZZZ00050Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters 1057 17/12/2020ZZZ00200Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate 1058 17/12/2020ZZZ00250Sports Organisations 1058 17/12/2020AAAA00400Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 1062 17/12/2020BBBB00500Job Losses 1065 17/12/2020CCCC00500Disability Support Services 1067 DÁIL ÉIREANN Déardaoin, 17 Nollaig 2020 Thursday, 17 December 2020 Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas ar 9 am Paidir. Prayer. Ceisteanna - Questions 17/12/2020A00200Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions 17/12/2020A00300Voluntary Sector 17/12/2020A004001 Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a commitment will be given to ensure that future funding and commissioning models fully sup- port the community-based, non-profit approach in view of the significant concern in the com- munity and voluntary sector that the commissioning process is leading to creeping privatisation of services in the sector [44375/20] 17/12/2020A00500Deputy Paul Donnelly: Can the Minister of State give me a commitment to ensure that future funding commissioning models will fully support the community not-for-profit-based view of the community and voluntary sector as there is significant concern in the sector that the commissioning process is leading to a creeping privatisation of services in this sector? 17/12/2020A00600Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development(Deputy Joe O’Brien): In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024. This strategy reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector and addressing some of the challenges faced by service providers while also recognising the real- ity of finite resources and the need to ensure that available resources are focused on providing effective services. Co-produced by Government and the community and voluntary sector, the strategy sets out 11 high-level objectives and associated actions that will empower communi- ties, their representative organisations and the community and voluntary sector to inform and 890 17 December 2020 shape appropriate responses to their needs The strategy commits, among other things, to a review of the current national practice in commissioning, and specifically, to develop a commissioning model reflecting a collaborative, partnership and whole-of-government ethos prioritising societal value and community need The implementation of the strategy is overseen by a cross-departmental group on local and community development, which is a representative group comprising local and central govern- ment, the community and voluntary sector, community development and local development nominees The group has agreed a work plan for the implementation of the strategy and com- missioning has been identified as one of the priorities in the plan. Accordingly, my Department will conduct a number of bilateral engagements with the relevant Departments and agencies in early 2021 to progress this important commitment 17/12/2020A00700Deputy Paul Donnelly: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit I welcome the answer’s statement of the value of communities and community development projects. I first heard of commissioning four or five years ago when I was child and family support co-ordinator for Tusla One of the aspects of the prevention, partnership and family support, PPFS, programme at the time was around commissioning and it has its own important pillar and importance both in terms of funding and the community. The figures for the community sector, as the Minister of State will be aware, are absolutely staggering With an income of €57 billion, it employs more than 100,000 people with 11,500 voluntary organisations with 500,000 volunteers The one thing that binds all of these people together is that they are not-for-profit and that needs to be protected 17/12/2020A00800Deputy Joe O’Brien: Tusla is one of the priority organisations that we want to engage with on this issue, along with the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is important in this whole mix Last week the cross-sectoral group overseeing the strategy had a meeting There were several priority issues and I attended the meeting for a while I impressed upon the group the importance of the commissioning issue I also reported to the group that early next year I hope to meet with the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expen- diture and Reform, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who has responsibility for procurement, which is somewhat different from commissioning. His Department is very relevant and I will sit down with him early next year to see how we can work together to progress the overall aims of the strategy 17/12/2020A00900Deputy Paul Donnelly: Gabhaim buíochas arís I have one concern in respect of the Min- ister of State’s answer on the funding and funding models I always have a great concern when we put such a strong emphasis on this value-for-money model There is always a real concern in community and voluntary organisations around how one values the community and the work that they do. Much of it is soft and it is not about figures or people walking through doors but about the quality of the work that one does and the quality of the interaction