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

I am trying to bring the community and voluntary sector into line with the democratic structures at local government level. For the first time, the community and voluntary sector will now have a statutory remit and relationship with local government, which it does not have currently. Companies operate on a stand-alone private company basis or they expect to get money from various Departments, irrespective of what their work is. They will certainly go through difficult circumstances if they do not know what funds they will have from year to year. They cannot plan too far ahead.

The organisations that are listed in the Schedule are those which are existing contract holders with the Department. This does not mean that the people who have written to Deputy Murphy, to me and to Deputy Cowen will be excluded in any way. That is the reason I asked Fr. Seán Healy to bring a representative group together and to come up with recommendations that will feed into the process of creating the necessary structures of engagement that will report to a democratic process, not to central Government. It will report at local level as far as possible - as close as possible to the citizen.

This legislation is not about vested interests, no matter whether they are community, industrial or farming interests. This is about the overarching legislation that is required that will help decisions to be made at local level as much as possible. It relates to the general community and economic development of the areas. There will be more opportunities available to these groups and these will be provided in a structured and democratic way.

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