Glengoole Family Resource Centre – €32,875 In Funding

Following representations by Tipperary Independent T.D. Mr Michael Lowry with Minister for Rural and Community Development T.D. Mr Michael Ring, Mr Lowry is pleased to confirm that The Millennium Family Resource Centre, Glengoole, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, will now receive funding of €32,875 from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

In personal correspondence sent to Deputy Lowry and today viewed by Thurles.Info; Minister Ring states:

Greetings Michael,
Further to your representations, I wish to inform you that I will shortly announce the allocation of €2 million in funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund, to 52 social enterprise projects across the country. The allocations are contained in the attached document. I can confirm that “The Millennium Family Resource Centre Company”, at Glengoole, Thurles, Co. Tipperary will receive €32,875, for the purchase of an Opel Astra van, a commercial washing machine and dryer, an air conditioning unit and two hot box containers, latter for the transporting of food.

I also wish to confirm that my Department is at an advanced stage in finalising Ireland’s first National Social Enterprise Policy. I expect to publish a draft of the policy shortly for public consultation, and to publish the final policy early in 2019.

The Social Enterprise Measure of the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan is overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by Pobal.

Kind regards,

[Officially Signed: Michael Ring, (An Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail)]

In a short statement by Deputy Lowry, he confirmed that the main aim of such funding is to increase the impact of social enterprise, by further enhancing the capacity to deliver services and where possible generate trade income, through the provision of small capital grants.

“This allocation, I am happy to state, follows on from numerous representations made by me, since July last.

Social enterprise operates in a similar fashion to businesses, selling goods or services to individuals, private businesses and the public sector. However, social enterprises are set up to also deliver or contribute towards a social, community or environmental goal and any surpluses which emerge from the activities of social enterprise, are reinvested back into its goal”, Deputy Lowry stated.