Jim Higgins
Ceist:482 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will extend the community development support programme from three years to five years. [11582/02]
Written Answers. - Community Development.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:483 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason for the delay in the publication of the national evaluation report on the community development support programme; and when the report will be published. [11583/02]
Jim Higgins
Ceist:484 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will give a commitment to mainstream funding for community development support programmes. [11584/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 to 484, inclusive, together.
My Department operates a number of long-term funding programmes which are collectively referred to as the community development support programme. It includes the community development programme, the family and community services resource centre programme, the programme of core funding to locally based community and family support groups. The purpose of these programmes is to provide seed money to enable locally based community groups to pilot initiatives in relation to poverty and disadvantage. Each project is currently funded on a three year renewable contract basis. There are no plans currently to extend the contract period from three to five years.
Under the strategic management initiative, the Department has an obligation to carry out an expenditure review on the community development programme. In order to inform this review and to gather baseline data on which to base the review, in 1999 the Department commissioned Nexus Research Co-operative with Farrell Grant Sparks limited to evaluate the social impact of the community development programme. This review was completed in late 2000. While the actual research has not been published, work on the evaluation has not been in abeyance. The evaluation model proposed in the report is currently being piloted by projects and the support agency in the western region and by three other support agencies. The final results of these pilots will be available shortly for consideration. It is envisaged that the research, in conjunction with the outcome of the pilot work in the western region, will be published in due course.
In general, core funding provided under my Department's community development support programmes provides for the employment of a maximum of two full-time staff equivalent together with the administration and general operating costs of the project. In the 1998 budget, an allocation of £300,000 was made available for projects funded under the community development programme, specifically to apply for additional time limited funding for work. This was usually to cover the employment costs of a worker necessary to the effectiveness of the programme but not otherwise resourced at that time. This enhanced funding scheme operated from 1998 to 2000. In 2001 a review of the scheme was initiated. This review, which addressed a number of issues including the mainstreaming of certain posts, has now been completed and is currently under consideration by my Department.