Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 2

Written Answers. - Community Development.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

274 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether his Department has commissioned, or has access to, independent opinion on the effectiveness, over the long-term, of measures administered by his Department with the objective of fostering greater self-reliance and community leadership; whether the operation of these measures by his Department rather than by more localised public authorities does not, in fact, run the risk of perpetuating an attitude of dependence on the central state apparatus and on the interests of the individual Minister of the day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22580/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Voluntary and community groups play an important role in improving the quality of the lives of people by helping them to develop the capacity to change their situation for the better. My Department, recognising the importance of this role, supports local self-help and community development initiatives. The programmes operated by my Department to assist local community development include the Community Development Programme (CDP), family resource centres, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) the core-funded programme for women's groups and networks, and the once-off schemes of grants to voluntary organisations, locally-based women's groups, locally based men's groups, lone parent groups, and more recently the community development education and training grant scheme and scheme of community support for older people.

I am aware of the need to ensure the effectiveness of these initiatives and their ability to reach those most in need of the Department's support under these schemes. The Department has, on a number of occasions, engaged independent consultants to undertake reviews of the various schemes and programmes. A review of the pilot scheme of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service took place in 1993 and in 1997 reviews of the family resource centres, the scheme of grants to locally-based women's groups, and the scheme of grants to locally-based men's groups were carried out. Reports on each of these reviews have been published.

The findings and recommendations of these reviews serve to inform policy in relation to the management and targeting of these schemes. There are also plans to review this scheme of community support for older people, the community development programme and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service over the next year or so as resources allow.

The main focus of the community development initiatives supported by my Department is to help people develop the confidence and the capacity to participate as partners alongside statutory agencies and others in local development initiatives. To be eligible for funding under the various programmes, groups must subscribe to self-help, community development ethos and must involve the intended beneficiaries in the management and design of the project. I do not accept that the operation of these schemes by my Department runs the risk of perpetuating an attitude of dependence as suggested by the Deputy. There are clear and objective criteria in place for each category of funding and an open and transparent application process for the grants schemes. The manner in which the CDP and MABS Programmes are managed allows for consultation with a diverse range of groups and real participation by funded projects in policy-making.

Under the community development programme and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, national advisory committees have been established to advise on the development of these programmes. The membership of these committees is drawn from a range of interests, among which are the support agencies, the Combat Poverty Agency, Area Development Management (ADM) and local projects in the case of the Community Development Programme Committee and the Combat Poverty Agency, health boards, workers of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and the NSSB, in the case of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service. These committees give an opportunity for people working at local level to have an input into these programmes. The current arrangements facilitate a high degree of coherence that results from being part of a national programme and the networking and transfer of lessons and experience across all projects in the programme. Applications under the once-off grant schemes are made initially to the Department's regional offices. This approach ensures that applications are assessed by officers at regional level with local knowledge who can make direct contact with local and voluntary community groups.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

275 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the membership of the Expert Technical Group that has been appointed to advise him in relation to the development of community development programme projects; if a priority list for rolling out the community development programme has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22581/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

At present, there are 87 projects participating in the community development programme. A technical group was established in November 1996 to assist the Department in the assessment of applications for inclusion in the programme. The group has the following functions: (a) advising on applications received from existing groups for funding under the programme; and (b) assisting the Department in drawing up a list of 30 priority areas/communities of interest to be targeted for the development of new projects over the next three years, as provided for under Partnership 2000.

The technical group reports to the Minister and is serviced by the Department.

The membership of the technical group is as follows:

Chairperson: Mr. Deaglán Ó Briain, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

Secretary: Ms Margaret Dorney, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

Ms Claire Casey, Community Action Programme, Ballymun.

Ms Glynis Currie, Framework, Waterford.

Mr. Éamon Deane, Holywell Trust, Derry.

Ms Mary Whelan, Community Action Network.

Mr. Mick Daly, West Clare Resource Centre.

Ms Julie Howley, Combat Poverty Agency.

Ms Siobhán Lynam, ADM.

Ms Mary Murphy, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

Mr. Dave Dillon, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

The group has commenced the process of drawing up a priority list of 30 areas for proactive targeting and inclusion in the community development programme as provided for in Partnership 2000. Work on this list is well under way and it is expected that this task will be completed by the summer of 1998.