Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 3

Written Answers. - County Development Boards.

Ivan Yates

Question:

333 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the progress made in the establishment of county development boards; if his attention has been drawn to the probable duplication of these boards in the context of the various partnerships companies, Leader companies and county enterprise boards; and the proposals he has to rationalise the number of those localised organisations. [25017/00]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

County and city development boards – CDBs – have been established in each county and city and are fully operational. The CDBs were set up on foot of a recommendation by the interdepartmental task force on the integration of local government and local development systems, which I chair.

The CDBs involve local government and local development bodies – area partnerships, Leader groups and county and city enterprise boards – along with the social partners and State agencies operating locally coming together to draw up and oversee the implementation of a county/city strategy for economic, social and cultural development. The strategy will be the framework for public services and local development activities in each county and city area. Pending the completion of their first strategies by early 2002, the CDBs are, from the outset, expected to foster inter-agency co-operation with a view to avoiding duplication and ensuring that gaps in meeting the needs of the community are filled.

I am satisfied that the CDBs will, as intended by the task force, lead to a more integrated and more coherent approach to the delivery of services at local level and, as such, any question of rationalisation does not arise at this stage.