Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of the local development social inclusion programme resources both financial and in terms of persons employed for 2009 and January to June 2010 for each partnership or local development company; if he will provide a breakdown of community development programme resources excluding national organisations (details supplied) both financial and persons employed for 2009 and January to June 2010; the way the resources are determined and the way these resources link to the populations in each catchment area and the levels of disadvantage in each community. [35598/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) replaced the Local Development Social Inclusion and Community Development Programmes from the beginning of 2010. Funding allocations to partnerships/local development companies under the LDCP are made by Pobal, which manages the programme on behalf of my Department. Allocations are based on a number of factors, including the size/population of the catchment areas of the companies, the proposed annual programme of activity of each company, the deprivation index for the catchment areas and the available funding for the year. In addition, the indicative allocations for 2010 took account of concentrated levels of urban disadvantage in the catchment areas of urban partnership companies.

Details in respect of funding provided to partnerships/local development companies for 2009 and from January to June 2010 are set out in Tables 1-2 below. Details are being collated in respect of the number of persons employed in such companies and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

With regard to community development projects (CDPs), my Department typically provided funding to meet the salary costs of up to 2 full-time equivalent staff and certain overheads costs associated with the running of the projects. In 2009, funding of the order of €19.8m was provided to some 180 CDPs and groups, in which approximately 350 core staff (full-time equivalents) were employed. In 2010, some 160 CDPs and groups are being funded under the LCDP. Expenditure for January-June 2010 was approximately €11.8m, while the estimated annualised cost is of the order of €19m. The number of core staff (full-time equivalents) employed by these groups in 2010 is approximately 290.

Details in respect of CDP funding for 2010 to date are set out in Table 3 below.

Table 1: Allocations to partnerships/local development companies 2009

*Revised drawdown allocations following April 2009 Supplementary Budget

Table 2: LCDP funding to partnerships/local development companies Jan-June 2010

Table 3: LCDP funding for community development projects Jan-June 2010

*From May 2010, payments to projects that are to be aligned with partnerships/local development companies are routed through Pobal. €4.6 million was provided to cover payments to such projects in respect of the period May - August 2010.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will confirm if a recent statement in a newspaper (details supplied) that moneys would be moved from the Leader Companies to County Enterprise Boards is accurate, if Leader companies were consulted about the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35681/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The main objectives of the Rural Development Programme are to improve the quality of life in rural areas and facilitate the diversification of the rural economy, and the individual measures under the Programme, including indicative allocations, are as follows: · Diversification into non-agricultural activities for farm families - €16.66m; · Support for business creation and development - €48.26m; · Encouragement of tourism activities - €45.4m; · Basic services for the economy and rural population - €49.61m; · Village renewal and development - €54.2m; · Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage - €51.7m; · Training and information on adapted and new skills - €29.45m; and · Implementing co-operation projects – €10.7m.

I am pleased with the progress to date under the RDP, which continues to facilitate access to significant financial resources for rural communities since it started in 2009. This has resulted in the proliferation of innovative and sustainable development projects all over the country, which are providing invaluable support to rural communities in these difficult times, and there is no question of funds being diverted away from the RDP.

The RDP currently has registered project activity of €71 million, with almost €30 million at an advanced stage of development. Expenditure to date amounts to almost €47 million, which includes funding for a diverse range of projects from support for micro-enterprise in rural areas to the build and maintenance of community infrastructure and the provision of training in a variety of disciplines for rural dwellers. I am confident that all of the activity funded under the RDP to date is contributing to the creation of the right conditions for the generation of sustainable, long-term job opportunities in rural areas.

My Department and I will be working closely with Minister Batt O'Keeffe and his Department in the coming months to promote increased co-operation between LAGs and County Enterprise Boards in order to ensure that we maximise the impact of all of the funding available and fully support enterprise and job creation in rural areas.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work with rural communities through their LAGs to explore all possible funding opportunities under the RDP.