Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies McNamara and Broughan for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity to deal with some of their concerns. I know the Deputies have read the documentation about the alignment of local government and community and this should have allayed some of their fears.

Putting People First: An Action Programme for Effective Local Government sets out a range of reforms that will place local government at the heart of local economic, social and community development. The programme includes proposals for enhancing alignment between local government and local and community development programmes and functions. Greater alignment is primarily about developing a partnership approach between the local government sector and the local development sector in the area of local and community development programming in order to bring about more effective delivery of these services to our communities and citizens.

I established an alignment steering group to study this area. The group's report outlined a number of recommendations for bringing a more coherent approach to local service provision with a more central role for local government in planning, decision-making and oversight of local development programmes. The Deputies will know from some of the problems which have arisen around the country such as Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta and Mayo North East Leader programme that there is a strong requirement for greater oversight, in view of the fact that irregularities have been discovered in these companies. The steering group acknowledged the key strengths of the local development sector, including the local knowledge and expertise in local service planning and delivery developed by the sector.

It also recognised that there are certain limitations to the current local development model. For example, there can be a considerable administrative burden. Some companies spend 15% of the total funding on administration and others spend 30%. There is a potential for duplication and overlap because of the complexity of the local development landscape; the many different funding and reporting arrangements; the demands and hidden costs associated with the requirement on various stakeholders to participate in multiple boards and structures at local level.

Local development companies will be key players in the new structures. They will be a key partner on the socioeconomic committees. They will also continue to implement the programmes on the ground using the bottom-up approach. None of us should expect autonomy. Our citizens want to know where their hard-earned money goes and they want a say in how it is spent.

The alignment process presents us with an opportunity to provide more meaningful impacts for our communities, especially when resources are scarce and likely to be more scarce, particularly in the rural development programme. I am confident that both sectors can work in partnership - in a way that builds trust and respect between them - to deliver efficient, sustainable, joined-up and easy to access services for our communities.

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