Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Leader Programmes Administration

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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507. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will maintain the current Leader model to ensure the continued quality delivery of service to rural and urban communities which have a proven organisation structure of 2,500 employees and have processed more than €500 million in funding for projects over the past five years alone. [35705/14]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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LEADER is a Community Led Local Development approach that has been used to deliver rural development interventions under the Rural Development Programme since the early 90s. The approach involves the participation of rural communities in their own development and formulates this participation through the medium of Local Development Strategies designed and implemented at a local level. While the LEADER methodology originates in rural development, Ireland also uses community led approaches to deliver development interventions in an urban context.

The proposals outlined in Putting People First- Action Programme for Effective Local Governmentaim to ensure that local government is at the heart of local and community development. This necessitates some change to the local development landscape that will ensure that the impact of all funding available to support local and community development is maximised. The establishment of Local and Community Development Committees in each local authority area and the development of a Local Economic and Community planning process will ensure that all local development funding in a given area will be coordinated and directed to the areas of greatest need.

A community led local development approach will provide the framework for these changes. The Local and Community Development Committee will be made up of the socio-economic interests of each area and the planning process will involve full consultation with communities on the ground.  In this context the LEADER model of Community Led Local Development will be largely maintained and I expect the development companies that have delivered the LEADER elements of the Rural Development and other programmes for both my own and other Government Departments will be key partners in that process.

The new systems for the delivery of local development interventions will be community centred and community led, epitomising the ethos of the LEADER approach. I am confident that they will be effective and efficient, will facilitate the participation of all members of local communities and will strengthen local government's position as the driver of local and community development for the future.

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