Brendan Smith
Question:23 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to extend the community development programme. [6200/00]
Written Answers. - Community Development Programme.
This Department funds a number of community development support programmes, namely, the community development programme, the family and community services resource centre programme and the programme of core-funding for locally based community and family support groups.
The community development programme was established in 1990 in recognition of the role of community development in tackling poverty and disadvantage. The number of funded projects has risen from 15 in 1990 to 90 at present. Partnership 2000 committed the Department to drawing up a list of 30 priority areas/communities of interest to be targeted for the development of new community development programme projects. This commitment has, in fact, been exceeded, with an expected 40 new projects being established over the next eighteen months.
The commission on the family recommended that a network of 100 family and community services resource centres be established over a four to five year period. At the end of 1999, 61 centres were being funded or had been approved in principle for funding. It is expected that a further 15 centres will be established by the end of 2000. In addition, ten new core funded community and family support groups will be established. This represents a very high increase in the number of funded projects to come on stream over the next 18 months or so. It involves a considerable concentration of development work by this Department and the regional support agencies during that period. Increased funding for the future expansion of the community development support programmes has been addressed in both the national development plan and in the programme for prosperity and fairness. The programmes will receive £100 million over the lifetime of the national development plan. This is £2 million to £4 million more per annum than the 1999 provision.
Further expansion in the number of community development support programme projects falls to be considered within the parameters of the NDP funding envelope, when the current expansion has been consolidated.