This year my Department is providing €27.5 million to support ongoing regeneration in Limerick. Projected levels of activity in 2013 will be subject to the financial provisions for housing, which will be determined in the context of the 2013 Estimates process.
Some €4 million of the overall 2012 capital allocation is being set aside for the purposes of supporting social intervention initiatives across the four regeneration areas. It will be a matter for the Office of Regeneration to submit to my Department a detailed programme of regeneration projects for funding in 2013, including a programme of social interventions to be delivered by the community and voluntary sectors.
In January 2010, the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) superseded the Community Development and the Local Development Social Inclusion Programmes.
The objective of the Programme is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities.
As part of its four high level goals, the Programme supports individuals into employment and self-employment through education, training, work experience, job placement, enterprise, and the social economy in both urban and rural areas.
The Programme is managed by Pobal on behalf of my Department and is delivered at a local level by the nationwide network of 51 Local Development Companies. This year some €55m has been allocated to the Programme. Paul Partnership is based in Limerick city and is one such Local Development Company, with a budget for delivery of the LCDP of some €1.6m in 2012. Two further local development companies, West Limerick Resources Limited and Ballyhoura Development Limited deliver the LCDP in the Limerick county area and have a combined budget of almost €1.2m in 2012.
