Policy
Community Development
Published on: 15 November 2018
Published on: 15 November 2018
Providing strong community supports helps to empower and develop communities that value the health and wellbeing of all.
In seeking to fulfil this vision, the government commits itself to the following principles:
In order to create a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive society, communities need to be empowered to develop and sustain their own wellbeing.
- The development of a National Civic Forum for dialogue with the Community and Voluntary sector
The Community Enhancement Programme is a community support which aims to streamline funding to communities in need. Its mission is to provide funding to improve facilities available to communities.
The Community Recognition Fund aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
It aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. The Fund is being delivered by local authorities.
The Programme for Government commits to introducing an annual capital grants programme for the maintenance, improvement and upkeep of community centres. The Community Centres Investment Fund was announced in April 2022. It is a capital fund to support community groups for the upgrade and refurbishment of Community Centres. This is an investment in both rural and urban communities across the country.
The government seeks to provide a coherent policy framework to support the development of the social enterprise sector in Ireland. Promoting education and training programmes that will support economic stability is a key aim.
The Dormant Accounts Fund is a major source of funding for community initiatives and supports. These funds will also be used to support Social Enterprise. A National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland has been published and is available here.
The Community Services Programme provides local social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model, providing a contribution towards the cost of staff in these organisations. It meets local service gaps and provides services and facilities that would not be available otherwise.
Public Libraries are a free, nationwide service for everyone and play a major role in the provision of business training and education.
They deliver a national literacy and reading programme, Right to Read and a national Work Matters programme for individuals and local enterprises. They also provide employment supports for locally-based entrepreneurs, start-ups and job seekers. You can access these services here.
DRCD has statutory responsibility for the local and community development governance structures introduced on foot of the local government reform process, namely the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), the Public Participation Networks (PPNs) and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs). This involves supporting the operation of the Local Community Development Committees and the development and implementation of the LECPs on an ongoing basis.
Under the Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government and the Local Government Reform Act of 2014, LCDCs are groups established in each local authority area and draw on the expertise and experience of public and private people and organisations in each local authority area. The purpose of the LCDC is to develop, co-ordinate and implement a coherent and integrated approach to local and community development. LCDCs promote meaningful citizen and community engagement in the planning and evaluation of development programmes. LCDCs manage the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) S at a local level with support from Local Authorities and actions are delivered by Local Development Companies (LDCs).
The Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) sets out, for a six-year period, the objectives and actions needed to promote and support the economic development and the local and community development of the relevant local authority area, both by itself directly and in partnership with other economic and community development stakeholders. The Department has oversight of the community elements of the LECP and work closely with our Local Authority colleagues to support this function.
Local authorities cover local issues and regulations. Some of the issues local authorities handle include burial regulations and dog control.
See the full list of local authorities in Ireland here.
The government recognises that society becomes stronger through active citizenship and voluntary participation. Voluntary activity is an essential sign of a society where people are concerned for each other.
Voluntary activity is encouraged through:
However, it also recognises the worth of every type of volunteerism and voluntary activity, so it does not believe that it should seek to regulate or be involved with every type of voluntary activity.
Social inclusion is central to supporting communities and individuals. The government encourages communities and target groups to engage with relevant stakeholders in identifying and addressing social exclusion and equality issues.
This will develop the capacity of local community groups and support sustainable communities.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality. It does this through local collaboration between the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority and the Local Development Companies (LDCs) who deliver the programme locally. The LDCs work with the most disadvantaged and the hardest to reach people in communities to help improve their life opportunities and access services such as personal development supports, life learning opportunities and to access employment.
Supporting the elderly is a major part of social inclusion. The objective of the Seniors Alert Scheme is to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities, so they can live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind.
Winter readiness is a challenge for individuals and communities across Ireland each year. Be Winter Ready mission is to make sure people are safe during the winter months. This involves winter preparations, first aid courses, and supports like the Senior Alerts Scheme and CLÁR, which provides funding for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas.
The Peace IV Programme is a cross-border programme that supports peace and reconciliation and promotes social and economic stability in Northern Ireland and the border regions of Ireland (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo). The programme is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body on behalf of the Irish and UK governments.