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

I suspect Senator Cullinane did not explain the position. This is the first time the role of the community is being recognised in a structured way in law. Senator Cullinane said there is nothing in the Bill but for the first time ever we are giving reserved functions to councillors to decide the local economic and community plan. They will work with the community in a structured way for the first time ever. That is just an example of the wide suite of opportunities councillors will have after the 2014 local elections. By the vote of the people they will have an influence on all moneys that are disbursed in their community, not through private companies, which is the current structure, where there are all the obligations of company law. Many company directors did not appreciate that when they began, but they telephone my office to get details of their role and responsibility under company law. I can assure Senator Cullinane that they were not always aware of what was involved, especially when coming to the end of a programme period, as we are under the rural development programme. We do not know the funds yet for the rural development programme because we have not completed discussions on that element of it in the Common Agricultural Policy. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the contracting party – not my Department - with Brussels on the rural development programme.

In response to Senator Landy, the chair of the LCDC has to be elected by the membership of the LCDC in order to comply with EU regulations for funding. That is a committee within the local government structure that has to be self contained for the purpose of drawing down those funds in order to adhere to the EU regulations on the bottom-up approach.

I understand that one of the front-runners in terms of participation by local authorities with the community on LCDCs is Cork County Council. My understanding is that a councillor has been elected chairperson from within the group. I am sure that will allay Senator Landy’s concerns. The situation will vary but it is possible if councillors and the local community work closely together. The working relationship between councils and communities varies as well. Officials and members of the county council must embrace the community more and, equally, the community must be less suspicious of what councils are trying to do. If statutory bodies and community groups work together in a local area the outcomes and output of local community development committees will be improved. I hope that will allay the concerns some people have had on those matters and put paid to some of the hypocrisy in terms of not devolving responsibility and power to councillors. Senator Cullinane was involved in a masquerade of such nonsense for a while.