Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if it is intended to integrate the activities of integrated development companies into the local authorities; the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54202/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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There are no proposals to integrate local development companies with local authorities. The Action Programme for Effective Local Government - Putting People First recommends greater alignment between local government and local development, including the 51 local development companies that currently deliver important programmes for my Department. This improved alignment will involve, inter alia, greater co-ordination of local development activities, with an enhanced role for local government in this co-ordination. These proposals are in line with the recommendations made by the Steering Group on alignment between local government and local development, whose report was published alongside Putting People First; the report is available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie.