Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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260. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which he expects to be in a position to support community development throughout the country in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46437/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland and this involves providing a mixture of financial and policy supports that promote economic and social development within communities.

Our Statement of Strategy, published earlier this year, lays out the ways in which we aim to facilitate this objective, through:

- creating conditions to support increased economic opportunities and local employment in all areas of the country

- delivering schemes and programmes that support the revitalisation of towns and villages

- improving access to services and social networks that ensure a high quality of life

- enabling communities disadvantaged by location or social issues to reach their full potential

- supporting communities to have a voice to shape their own future

Our Communities, the Framework Policy for Local and Community Development, sets a high-level vision for the State’s support for local development and community development and will underpin all relevant policies, programmes and interventions for local and community development. My Department is developing an implementation plan for the framework policy in partnership with key State and community stakeholders and I expect this plan to be published in the early part of 2019. 

My Department provides direct supports to community-led projects through our range of schemes and programmes, which include the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, Community Services Programme, Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR Programme, Community Enhancement Programme and LEADER Programme.

Funding provided through volunteering supports, libraries development and the new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will also bring positive benefits to local communities. Details of these and other programmes are available on my Department's website.

In addition, my Department is committed to supporting local communities to develop, empowering them to identify their needs and aspirations and providing them with the opportunities, skills and confidence to influence, shape and participate in decision-making processes which affect them. 

Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) have been established in all 31 local authority areas to develop, coordinate and implement a more joined-up approach to local and community development funding at a local level.  The primary means through which this is achieved is the Local Economic and Community Plan. To this end, the LCDC brings together a mix of public and private interests to take a strategic view of local development and community development activity at local level.  

An LCDC review process began in late 2017, overseen by a multi stakeholder steering group. The review included a broad consultation process that will help to inform the preliminary findings and recommendations. A report on the review is being drafted by my Department with guidance and input from the Steering Group.  I expect to have a draft for my consideration very shortly and would hope to publish the final report early in 2019.