Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 May 2013
168. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a cost benefit analysis was performed on the policy of local government and local development alignment before formally adopting it as a policy; if he will provide same if it was conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20673/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of enhanced alignment between local government and local development was examined by a steering group that I established for that purpose. The group comprised individuals with extensive experience across the spectrum of the local and community development sector, from policy and planning to implementation and delivery at a local level. A copy of the steering group’s report is available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/AlignmentofLocalGovtLocalDev/ .
The Alignment process is, at its essence, about improving the co-ordination of the many publicly-funded programmes and structures that deliver local development services. It is not the replacement of one system with another solely because one is more cost effective than the other; it is the bringing together of relevant local actors in strategic collaboration and partnership, focusing on intended outcomes including, developing a more integrated approach to publicly-funded programmes, achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness, improved matching of resources to priorities, improved systems for impact measurement and assessment, greater cross-government sharing of data and identification of best practice, setting programme administration costs at sustainable level s and the use of shared services where appropriate.
