Tom McEllistrim (Kerry North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 651: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will make a statement on the cohesion plan he has put in place to join together both the partnership programme and the LEADER based programme under a single administration company and particularly regarding people's concern that parity of esteem of both programmes would be included in any new companies to be set up nationwide (details supplied). [9423/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from the joint ministerial initiative on the review of local and community development structures, the Government agreed a series of measures in January 2004 designed to improve arrangements under which community and local development initiatives are delivered. The Deputy will be aware that the key principles governing the process are:

improving on the ground services, supports and impacts on local communities, from within existing levels of resources,

streamlining and rationalising structures so as to avoid overlaps, duplication and undue administrative overheads,

bringing transparency, co-ordination and improved control to the funding and operation of local/community development measures,

strengthening the democratic accountability of agencies and service providers in this area.

The core objective of the cohesion process is the alignment of local, community and rural development structures to achieve full coverage within a given area. The intention is, that in 2007, there will be one company delivering services in any given area and fewer companies overall in the country. This will lead to improved co-ordination of service delivery and maximise the impact of both rural development and social inclusion measures at a local level.

I believe that we are pursuing a proven model in that area already. There are currently 12 LEADER/Partnership groups that deliver, inter alia, both local and rural development programmes in a way that respects the distinct ethos of the respective programmes. This integrated model is being extended to all local development bodies in rural areas this year. I will shortly be introducing new requirements in regard to the constitution, mandate and governance of these bodies. These procedures will maintain the parity of esteem between rural development and social inclusion programmes and ensure that the scope for new synergies between these programmes is optimised.