- Over 400 community organisations nationwide to benefit from increased funding
- 9 new organisations to join the programme in 2026
- Over 50 organisations set to benefit from a higher funding category
- 11 organisations’ contracts extended to end 2027
- Plans to open the CSP Programme to new applications early next year
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, have today (Wednesday, 17 December 2025) announced increased funding for over 400 organisations nationwide currently supported under the Community Services Programme (CSP).
The revised funding rates to be applied from 1 January 2026 will see:
- an increase of €1,260 in the annual contribution per post to organisations categorised as having a high funding need; and
- an increase of €1,160 in the annual contribution per post for CSP organisations categorised as having a medium funding need; and,
- an increase of €400 per annum to all 351 CSP-supported manager positions across all funding categories.
55 CSP-supported organisations are set to move to a higher funding category. This is a targeted measure to focus additional support on organisations with evident financial need.
A further 9 organisations, including Ballinamore Community Hall CLG trading as The Island Theatre, are now set to join the CSP programme commencing early 2026. This will support employment for 11 full-time posts and 6 managers and will bring the total number of organisations supported to 435 in 2026.
In addition, 11 organisations with an original contract end date of 31 December 2025 have had their contracts extended for a further 2 years.
Ministers Calleary and Buttimer also announced that there will be an open call for new organisations to join the CSP Programme in early 2026.
Welcoming the increased funding, Minister Calleary said:
“My Department’s Community Services Programme plays a vital role in ensuring essential services reach communities nationwide. It addresses local needs and delivers effective, targeted, responses to support people where it matters most. I am very pleased to announce that we are now in a position to strengthen this support with additional funding for 2026. This is the fourth increase in funding rates that has been approved since the introduction in 2023 of a new funding model for the Programme.”
Speaking during a visit to the Island Theatre in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, Minister Buttimer added:
“I am delighted to be part of this announcement of additional funding for posts supported under the Community Services Programme. I am very aware of the challenges community organisations are facing and I am fully committed to working closely with the sector to address them. I hope this increase in contributions will enable CSP-supported organisations to continue to deliver services in the communities where they are so greatly needed.”
The CSP Programme supports the delivery of over 440 services nationally via 426 community organisations to provide local social, economic, and environmental services through a social enterprise model. The Programme focuses on urban and rural communities where public and private sector services are lacking, either through geographical or social isolation or because of demand deficits. The CSP Programme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards the cost of each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.
As part of the Budget 2026 package announced in October, the CSP Programme was allocated an additional €4m, bringing its total funding allocation for 2026 to €59.4m.