Govt reinstates €1.3m in funds for 30 charity groups for this year

The Government has done a u-turn on funding cuts it made to organisations working with the sick and people with disabilities.

The new Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly has confirmed that funding of almost €1.3m will be restored to 30 groups for another year.

The organisations who had their funding cut include the Asthma Society, the Irish Heart Foundation, The Carers Association and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Minister Kelly said it was clear the organisations had become dependent on the funding, but he stressed that the release of funds now was a once-off, bridging measure.