COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 11, 2021

QUESTION NO. 22

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive if he plans to offer additional supports to Community Centres reopening after their long Covid related closure; will he confirm that his staff are working with the managements of the Centres to boost their efforts and will he make a statement? 

REPLY:

The Community Services Department continues to support the boards of management of community centres in the County to assist them in their decisions and plans to reopen their respective centres in line with current Government Public Health Guidelines.  A new Community Centre Re-Opening Fund was established in a mid-year review of the Community Grants Programme in 2020 and a large number of Community Centre's have availed of this fund submitting application in 2020 or 2021 with the fund remaining open to centres who wish to make an application for support.  In addition, our annual management assistance grant to community centres was prioritised and paid to centres in June this year.

Covid-19 related re-opening plans were organised and funded by the Community Services Dept for community centres including the roll out of legionella testing in centres in June 2021 with allowed for the return of Council supported Community Employment (CE) participants to their work experience placements providing significant staffing support to centres.

Additionally, our community events fund will assist centres who wish to organise local community Hallowe'en events and the opening of the 2021 Community Infrastructure Fund on 11th October will also provide boards of management with the opportunity to aplly for funding support for capital works to upgrade/expand their community facilities.