The Minister for Transport today presented the second Dublin Bus Community Support Programme Awards to non-profit groups and charities from Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow.
Dublin Bus donated €254,000 to 154 non-profit groups, ranging from charities and schools to sports clubs and community groups. They received over 1,000 applications for donations from the awards' fund.
Dublin Bus established the Community Support Programme to help small local groups whose work generally goes unrecognised outside the circle of people they help.
Three different size awards were presented at the awards ceremony today. Eleven groups received €5,000, 57 groups received €2,000, and 86 groups received €1,000.
Mr Cullen said: "The volunteers of the non-profit groups here today are to be commended. Volunteers are the unsung heroes of our time. Most of these heroes work in full or part time jobs yet give of their time willingly just to help someone else."
He added that the Dublin Bus awards scheme was "a very important initiative as it actively works to counter the other trends in society that result in disengagement from our communities".