Minister hears input on development plan

Housing and Local Government Minister Simon Coveney, today (Wednesday) afforded key local development and community development stakeholders an opportunity to have their say in the development of an implementation plan for the Framework Policy for Local and Community Development in Ireland, which was approved by Government a year ago.

The National Forum took place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, with more than 230 participants in attendance.

The forum afforded communities, their representatives and those directly involved in local development and community development an important opportunity to discuss critical issues facing our communities and to input to the development of the implementation plan. The plan will contribute to the Programme for Government commitment to produce a coherent policy framework and develop a strategy to support the community and voluntary sector and encourage a cooperative approach between public bodies and the community and voluntary sector.

The event centred around five thematic workshops that aligned closely with the themes of the Framework Policy. The themes include Engaging with Communities; Working with Partners; Planning for Local and Community Development; Achieving with Partners; and Securing best outcomes for Communities.

Minister Coveney said that working “together we can figure out better ways for the State structures to engage with communities in the development of policies and supports that impact upon them. We can identify better ways of working together locally and nationally so that we provide more effective services for those who need them most and better target those services.I am fully committed to working with all of you to build on our work of recent years and also to grow the supports for our communities in the