Agenda item

            The Community Development Manager reminded the Committee that the Council supported organisations which provided generalist advice through five area?based consortiums, on the understanding that all of the groups within the consortiums were affiliated to Advice Northern Ireland or Citizens Advice.

            She reminded the Committee further that, in February 2006, an application for advice funding from the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre had been rejected on the following grounds:

(i)   that the organisation was not a generalist provider since it provided specialist advice; and

(ii)  it was not affiliated to Advice Northern Ireland or Citizens Advice.

The Centre had submitted an appeal which had been rejected.  However, the former Community and Recreation Committee, which had responsibility for Community Services at that time had agreed, at its meeting on 17th October, 2006, due to extenuating circumstances, notably the withdrawal of Central Government funding, to provide the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre with funding of £14,600 during the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 financial years and to offer support in-kind to the Centre in order to assist it to overcome its administrative difficulties.  This support had been provided to enable the organisation to address concerns which had been raised by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety so that they might be able to re-apply for such funding from the Department.

            The Community Development Manager reported that in the intervening period Community Services Officers had met with the Centre staff to offer support and guidance.  However, the group had made little progress in addressing its administrative and financial difficulties and, in spite of the funding which had been provided by the Council, the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre was considered to be insolvent, since the group’s audited accounts for the period 2006/2007 noted that “the company incurred a net loss of £30,619 with the company’s current liabilities exceeding its total assets of £58,662”.  In addition, due to the inability to pay for an auditor, the accounts for the 2007/2008 year had not been prepared. 

            She advised the Committee that the Centre had requested the Council to provide financial assistance of £14,600 in the current financial year.  However, due to the Development Department’s Grant Review, Community Services Advice Funding Grants were not currently open for application.  Furthermore, the reasons why the Centre’s application had been rejected previously still applied, in that it offered specialist advice and was not affiliated to Advice Northern Ireland or Citizens Advice.  Accordingly, she recommended that the request from the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre be rejected. 

            Following a lengthy discussion in the matter, during which the Committee indicated that it was supportive of the important work which the Centre undertook, it was

Moved by Councillor Convery,

Seconded by Councillor B. Kelly,

      That the Committee agrees to defer consideration of the matter to enable legal and other advice to be obtained with a view to the matter being considered further at a special meeting of the Committee.

Amendment

Moved by Councillor Crozier,

Seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor D. Browne),

      That the Committee agrees to provide the necessary resources to enable the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre’s accounts to be audited so that the actual financial state of the organisation could be ascertained before any decision was taken regarding its request for funding.

            On a vote by show of hands six Members voted for the amendment and eleven against and it was accordingly declared lost. 

            Accordingly, the original proposal standing in the name of Councillor Convery was thereupon put to the meeting when eleven Members voted in favour and two against and it was accordingly declared carried.