Concern mounts over COVID impact on Community Fund
FESTIVALS, community events and local groups allocated money under the Community Support Fund (CSF) in February are increasingly worried they will be denied the vital revenue over the impact of COVID-19 on the County Council’s coffers.
County Councillors are meanwhile furious over the issue, having agreed and voted on the €600,000 fund on February 28.
They only learned of the issue, along with the groups subject to CSF funding in 2020, by way of a letter issued by Chair of the Kerry Public Participation Network (KPPN) William Morrell last week.
In it, Mr Morrel set out that many groups had already spent their allocation based on the announcement in February.
“Although technically they should have waited for the formal letter from the Community Department [of the Council] they acted in good faith, and nobody could see the lockdown and its financial repercussions coming,” Mr Morrell wrote.
He indicated the KPPN argued for these groups, saying they now faced financial difficulties as a result of the spend; and said the Council ultimately agreed to reimburse any groups, which spent money between February 28 and the start of the lock-down.
There’s a massive question mark over the rest of the allocations now, however, as the vast majority of groups subject to the fund this year have not yet spent the money.
€132,000 of the fund was allocated to the Listowel district, with now-cancelled events such as Revival and Writers’ Week set to benefit.
However, a significant chunk of the allocation was for town and village projects vital to local development. “This represents a change to our budget and to not inform us, as the councillors who voted on it, is no way to go about business,” Fianna Fáil Cllr Jimmy Moloney said.
“It’s one thing to affect festivals that are now cancelled, but there are many local projects out there in dire need of their allocation.
“For instance, Asdee was allocated €2,000 to clear a section of the Shannon Way, and that should be honoured as it would have long-term benefits for the village. Also, many use the fund to help draw down vital grant aid, so there is a lot of concern out there now.”
He said he was informed the Council is looking into the matter.