Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak to this Adjournment matter in the Dáil this evening.

My Department's mandate aims to progress the achievement of an inclusive society with vibrant communities in which families may thrive. Measures to support this are contained in the Government's strategies for social and economic development and social inclusion. The primary role of my Department in the community and voluntary sector is to encourage and facilitate communities, with a special focus on areas of disadvantage, to pursue social and economic progress in their areas. Policy initiatives are underpinned by the Towards 2016 partnership agreement, which recognises the valuable role of the sector. The agreement notes that the great strength of voluntary activity is that it emerges organically from communities and points out that while the Government should not seek to control and be involved in every aspect of voluntary activity, it has a responsibility to provide an enabling framework to help the sector.

To this end, my Department supports a wide range of initiatives that support the work of the sector. In particular, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the following schemes that directly support their operations. Under the scheme for national organisations within the community and voluntary sector, 64 organisations within the sector are supported and funding of the order of €5 million is being provided for the scheme in 2010. My Department has been reviewing the operation and scope of the scheme over the past few months and I will be considering various options in relation to its future in the coming weeks. Funding of €878,000 is also provided to support the sector in its work under partnership.

Encouraging volunteering and supporting active citizenship is also a key part of the work of my Department in this context. To this end, my Department also provides annual funding of the order of €3.4 million to support the work of 22 volunteer centres operating at county level. In 2010, the number of centres funded increased to 22. The Department provides core funding to both Volunteer Centres Ireland and Volunteering Ireland, both of which promote volunteering nationally.

The role of the sector is widely acknowledged in other areas in my Department, most especially in the ongoing implementation of the national drugs strategy. Under the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, formal protocols are in place to ensure the active participation of the community and voluntary sectors in the work of the Drugs Advisory Group which advises me, as the Minister of State responsible, on operational and policy matters relating to the national drugs strategy. This funding provides for the continued input, expertise and participation of these sectors under the structures applying in delivering on the national drugs strategy.

In addition, my Department provides annual funding to assist Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign support and promote the participation of communities most affected by drugs misuse and is used to facilitate the involvement of communities in the structures and the implementation of the national drugs strategy. Furthermore, as an additional support to communities affected by drugs misuse, annual funding is provided by my Department to the Family Support Network. This funding helps to improve the situation of families coping with drug misuse and to raise public awareness about the associated problems for families and communities.

As the Deputy will be aware, community and voluntary organisations play a significant role in delivering community based drugs initiatives in the 24 drugs task force areas from dedicated funding from my Department. Funding of the order of €36 million is being provided through the Department in 2010 to support the broad range of drugs measures under the strategy.

It is my intention, through the various arrangements, to continue to support the sectors to the greatest extent possible within the limits of the resources available to me in 2011. I draw the Deputy's attention to the Local and Community Development Programme which supersedes the local development social inclusion and community development programmes. A key difference between the new LCDP and its predecessors is the fact that, when fully implemented, it will be delivered nationally on an integrated basis by a reduced number of companies.

A national model involving full integration of community development projects with local development companies has been set out by my Department. However, it was made clear from the start of the process that other options could be considered and I have approved a number of alternative models in recent weeks. Ongoing funding for the programme in 2011 and beyond will be considered in the context of the annual Estimates process and will be routed through the local development companies in support of the following 4 goals of the LCDP: to promote awareness, knowledge and uptake of a wide range of statutory, voluntary and community services; to increase access to formal and informal educational, recreational and cultural development activities and resources; to increase peoples' work readiness and employment prospects; and to promote engagement with policy, practice and decision making processes on matters affecting local communities.

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