Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

423. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if she will provide an update on the success of the employment services delivered through the Local and Community Development Programme; the number of beneficiaries in 2012; and the projected number for 2013. [23059/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The objective of the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, and its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities. It is a key tool of Government in providing supports for the ‘harder to reach’ in the most disadvantaged areas and communities. Given the current economic situation and the high level of unemployment, the LCDP is more relevant than ever insofar as it creates employment opportunities and gives those most distant from the labour market the skills to access training and jobs. The Programme has four high level goals focusing on supporting activities that enhance access to services, provides education and lifelong learning supports for individuals, employment supports for individuals and supports for community development activities.

Goal 3 of the LCDP is the primary goal that delivers employment services. Approximately 40% of the LCDP budget is allocated to the goal, and under it, a range of services are delivered and supported. These are diverse and range from employment mediation supports, programmes to reduce youth unemployment, actions designed to engage with employers to promote local job opportunities, labour market focused education and training supports, supports for social enterprise, and the delivery of services for individuals who are seeking to set up their own business.

The Programme is delivered at a local level by the national network of local development companies (LDCs). Pobal, who manage the day to day operation of the LCDP, have advised that the assessment of the 2013 LCDP Plans of the LDCs is on-going. However, it is anticipated that outputs and outcomes for the LCDP in 2013 will be broadly similar to those achieved in 2012. The total caseload for the programme in 2012 was 47,792 individuals. The system utilised by Pobal to record performance information of LDCs in delivering the LCDP provided the following output statistics: