David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was a director of the Larchville Lisduggan Community Development Project Limited and know, at first hand, the good work done by volunteers. They were voluntary board members of the CDP. They lived in the housing estates and understood the issues that affected people living in the areas. Their power and responsibilities were taken away from them. They no longer have any involvement in the CDP because it was subsumed, along with partnerships, into local community development companies.

Where is the bottom-up approach? A team of people working in a voluntary capacity across the State have been taken out of the system. How could that be a good thing for the people who live in those communities? I remember attending an event in Croke Park which the Department and Pobal also attended. The Minister referred to a lack of accountability. There was accountability through Pobal and the Department. Pobal representatives were very clear when the community development partnerships, CDPs, were being dissolved that community development would not be subsumed into local government and controlled by it but that is exactly what happened. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh said, whoever controls the chequebook controls the agenda and policy. That is what will happen.

It is unfortunate that the Minister has not brought any fresh thinking, new initiatives or vision. He simply followed on with a process that was set in train long before he was Minister, yet he is dressing it up as a reform by him. That is nonsense. It was created by Fianna Fáil in the previous Government and it was set in train long before he became Minister. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, is simply implementing it and giving us no new vision, which is disappointing. Previous speakers suggested that the Minister might end up in Europe but before he goes he could take the opportunity to fundamentally reform local government and local community development. He has missed the opportunity. His ministerial legacy will not be good when it comes to local government and local community development.