Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004
49 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the meaning of the concept of hosting new community development projects in which such organisations are prevented from interacting with development structures in their own right. [33285/04]
View answerThe Government recognises that local and community development measures are contributing significantly to tackling a range of challenges at local and community level. However, the number of structures involved in the delivery of these programmes is very extensive and complex. With this in mind, a review of the structures employed in the delivery of local and community development programmes has been undertaken and brought to completion. Arising from that review, the Government decided that public bodies and departments should look to existing structures for delivery of new local or community development initiatives. In this regard, the Government also decided that any further community development projects established would be on the basis of maximising recourse to existing structures.
Ten projects currently at pre-development stage have been approved for inclusion in the community development programme, CDP, with a total budget commitment of €600,000 for their first year of operation. In eight of those projects, agreement has been reached with existing local community development organisations to facilitate the establishment of the new projects for the purpose of drawing down funding under the CDP. In one case, negotiations are ongoing. In the remaining case, no appropriate local community development structures exist and this project will be established as a legal entity in its own right.
While the contracts for funding will be between my Department and the existing local community development structures, the day-to-day operation of the new projects will be similar in most other aspects to the operation of other projects already funded under the CDP. This new model will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that the needs of communities are being best served.
