Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 May 1991

Vol. 407 No. 7

Written Answers. - Community Development Funding.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

43 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to respond to the request from the Combat Poverty Agency, in their pre-Budget submission, for an increase to £4 million in annual Government funding for existing community development resource centres and to enable new centres to be developed in disadvantaged areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The level of support for local community-based activities has been significantly improved in recent years.

I fully recognise the valuable contributions being made by the many voluntary and community groups working in the social services area in this country. I have a strong commitment to action at local level to increase the social and economic well being of local communities and I will continue to expand and develop the practical supports provided by my Department for such activities.

In addition to the funding provided for the community development and EC poverty programmes, I am providing £750,000 this year for the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations in the social services area. Many of these organisations are working at local level providing services and support to local communities. I am providing a further £500,000 to continue the scheme of grants for locally based women's groups which I introduced last year.

Last year, also, I was able to initiate a specific community development programme under which funding is provided for resource centres in certain urban and rural areas. The activities being undertaken through these resource centres include local enterprise initiatives and projects with the elderly, young families, single parents, the unemployed and other groups in need of help, support, advice and information.

The emphasis in the projects is on the involvement of local communities in developing approaches to tackle the problems they face and on creating successful partnerships between the voluntary and statutory agencies in the areas concerned. A key feature of the programme is that the projects have security of funding for a three-year period.

This year the Government have provided an additional £225,000 for the programme bringing the overall allocation to £750,000. This represents an increase of over 40 per cent. These additional resources will be used to extend the programme to areas not at present covered and to provide further resources to the 15 projects already included in the programme to enable them further develop their activities.

I am also providing almost £450,000 this year, via the Combat Poverty Agency, to the third Irish projects participating in the third EC poverty programme. Under this programme two large area-based projects are being funded, one in Limerick city and the other in north and west Connemara while a third project involving the travelling community based in Dublin is also being funded.

This brings the overall amount of funding being provided through my Department for community and voluntary activity in 1991 to over £2.8 million.