Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his newly reconfigured Department has more personnel and expertise at its disposal, thus possibly increasing its capacity for analytical strategy development and programme design and in view of the fact that the community sector is willing to engage with his Department in policy and programme development and has proven that they have the capacity to do so; if he will provide for such engagement for beneficial development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28761/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that as part of the restructuring of Departments and agencies recently announced by the Taoiseach in Dáil Éireann, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established, incorporating responsibility for social inclusion policy and family policy from the former Department of Social and Family Affairs and for equality, disability, integration and human rights from the former Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The transfer of these functions has indeed resulted in more personnel, expertise and enhanced capacity in my Department in terms of analytical strategy development, with particular analytical expertise transferring into my Department with the social inclusion and family policy functions. My Department's responsibilities now include the analysis of the impact and effectiveness of public policy on poverty and social inclusion, and responsibility for promoting the development of data strategies and research to inform anti-poverty and social inclusion policies and practice and facilitating improved monitoring of outcomes.

In relation to the issue of programme design, programme development and the role of the community sector in this process, the Deputy will be aware that, against a background of reforms underway by my Department, ongoing concerns to strengthen programme delivery and evaluation, and issues confirmed by a VFM Policy Review of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP), my Department engaged the Centre for Effective Services (CES) in 2008 to provide objective and independent advice and assistance with the redesign of community development/social inclusion programmes, particularly the LDSIP and the Community Development Programme.

I am advised that, during this redesign process, the CES consulted with all relevant stakeholders, including the community sector, on matters relating to the programmes and their redesign. The independent role of the CES provided for objective and critical debate on the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the programmes, as opposed to their delivery.

On 1 January 2010, the redesigned Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) was rolled out across communities and the CES continues to work with my Department in relation to the LCDP and the programme design agenda across my Department's range of functions.

Consultation with the key social inclusion stakeholders has always been an integral part of my Department's operational agenda and will continue to be so through our ongoing work on policy development and programme delivery.