Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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173. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address the concerns of local development (partnership) companies in relation to the local and community development programme being implemented from 2015 and which is now subject to open tender; if the companies will have less influence on the delivery of programmes and the way they will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7343/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department intends implementing a successor Programme to the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) in 2015. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides a legislative underpinning for the establishment of Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in 31 local authority areas and for the preparation and implementation of Local Economic and Community Plans. These committees will comprise stakeholders from local government, local development, State agencies and the community and voluntary sector, and they will focus on identifying the local and community development needs and priorities for their area. It is the intention that local development companies and other relevant stakeholders will input to the Local Economic and Community Plan and that the establishment of LCDCs in all local authority areas will be progressed in the coming months, with a tendering process for the new LCDP to follow thereafter.

The Programme will be overseen and managed by the LCDCs of the Local Authorities who will request tenders for its delivery in their areas. The competitive process will be open to Local Development Companies, other not-for-profit community groups in general and commercial firms that can provide the services to be tendered for, to deliver the new Programme. The new Programme will reflect the main findings of the LCDP Mid Term Review and ensure that it remains a locally accessible, frontline intervention for the people most difficult to reach in terms of preparation for employment.