Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 6

Written Answers. - Community Development Funding.

David Stanton

Ceist:

347 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need of Youghal and District Community Development Project for funding to enable it continue to rent its premises; if he will make this funding available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25429/99]

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

My Department has received applications from two groups in Youghal seeking core funding. Youghal and district community development project applied for funding for both staff and running costs of a resource centre. The other group have also applied for funding towards the cost of employing a full-time co-ordinator and for management support for their resource centre.

Both applications were examined by the CDP technical group, which was established to advise me on applications for community development funding and on areas to be prioritised for pro-active development of new projects. The technical group recommended the establishment of a project under the community development programme to serve the town of Youghal and its hinterland. In its recommendation, the technical group recommended that funding should not be allocated to either of the existing applicant groups, but that the new CDP project should be established in such a way that it draws on and involves members of both applicant groups and of any other relevant groups and interests in the area. I accepted this recommendation as being in the best interests of community development in the area.

In this regard, both applications received were referred to Cork Community Development Institute which is the regional support agency for the programme in the southern region, and which has responsibility for setting up the new project in Youghal.

CCDI have commenced the necessary preparatory work in the Youghal area. This involves working with all relevant local voluntary and community groups including the two applicant groups in order to bring the new project to the stage of signing a formal contract with the Department. The precise location of the project's office and the employment of staff are issues to be decided by the management committee of the new project, once it has been brought together by the regional support agency and is up and running.

The provision of funding to Youghal and district community development project would pre-empt the outcome of the work currently being undertaken by CCDI.