Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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459. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 122 of 6 February 2014, if there is capacity to generate a profit for the commercial companies he says can tender for delivery of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9114/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. It superseded the Local Development Social Inclusion and the Community Development Programmes in 2010.

It is a key tool of Government in providing employment supports, training, personal development/capacity building and other supports for the harder to reach in the most disadvantaged areas in society.

The LCDP successor Programme is at design stage and will be based on, inter alia, the main findings of the LCDP Mid Term Review, which was published in October 2013. The Programme will ensure that it remains a locally accessible, frontline intervention for people most difficult to reach in terms of social exclusion and distance from the labour market. It will be overseen and managed by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) of the Local Authorities who will request tenders for its delivery in their areas.

When the tender documentation issues, it will be a matter for any interested company or group to consider whether they wish to submit a proposal to provide the service being sought having regard to the terms and conditions of the tender. All proposals received will be assessed by the LCDCs in accordance with the assessment criteria notified with the tender documentation and the contract or contracts will be awarded on the basis of that assessment.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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460. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the level of engagement his Department will have with the ILDN and the CCMA in terms of developing proposals around any successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme; in regard to the Leader programme and in relation to a general operating framework setting out working arrangements between LCDCs and local development companies, if he is concerned that no meetings have taken place between his Department and stakeholders since September of 2013 despite an agreement to develop proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9133/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department will continue to have engagement with key stakeholders regarding the development of a successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme, a new LEADER Programme and working arrangements between LCDCs and partnership companies.

Significant engagement with stakeholders has been undertaken to date and it is not correct that no such meetings have taken place since September of 2013. A range of meetings has been held in that time including, for example, three meetings with the Irish Local Development Network, as well as meetings with community and voluntary sector representatives and local government. A further meeting is scheduled for 6 March with representatives of the Irish Local Development Network and other stakeholders.