John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

As I outlined previously to the Dáil and Seanad, my Department has seen the need to redesign its community development and social inclusion programmes, particularly the local development social inclusion programme, LDSIP, and the community development programme, CDP, drawing on best international practice, and to support their ongoing evaluation. The LDSIP and the CDP are my Department's two main social inclusion and community development programmes. They both have a community development element and are delivered through separate local delivery structures. These programmes come to an end on 31 December 2009 and will be superseded by a new integrated programme, the local and community development programme.

The Centre for Effective Services recently presented the outline of the new programme to me, which I accepted. The aim of the new programme is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between the Government, its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities. The new programme will preserve elements of good practice from the existing CDPs, community development programmes, and LDSIPs, local development social inclusion programmes, but will ensure a greater focus on outputs and outcomes and their evaluation.

The new integrated programme is a major step forward and I am especially pleased that, notwithstanding severe budgetary constraints, the case made for the programme was accepted in determining allocations and that it was possible to secure significant funding for it for 2010. In that context, I am pleased to say that I have been able to ring-fence funding for continuing CDPs and to maintain funding for these at 2009 levels.

We have taken care in the design of the implementation process for the new programme and allowed enough time to ensure the objective of integrated service delivery can be achieved. Once CDPs sign up to the new programme, the first tranche of 2010 funding will be provided. This allows for service continuity from day one. The existing CDP management structure, through the voluntary boards, will remain in place for 2010 and CDPs have been so informed, in writing.

As part of the implementation process, the key stakeholders will be asked to work together at local level from early next year to develop proposals for how the programme is to be delivered during 2010. My Department and Pobal will provide a range of supports to ensure the process is successful. At the same time, all stakeholders will be working together to put in place a plan to ensure integrated service delivery and structures for the period after 2010. My Department and Pobal will also be supporting that process and working with all key stakeholders.

We have set out a model for integrated service delivery and structures at a local level which would involve, among other things, the re-constitution of the voluntary boards from the end of 2010. The directors would continue to have a key role in that model. However, we have stated repeatedly that it is up to the CDPs and the local development companies to bring forward other models, if they have something better to offer. I have met CDPs, their networks and representatives throughout the country during the past year or more, as have my officials. We have made it clear that we will meet anyone who is prepared to work with us in a constructive way to ensure that the new programme is delivered to the benefit of the communities we all serve.

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