LCDC (Local Community Development Committee)

Members of the Local Community Development Committees (LCDC)

The current representation on the Local Community Development Committee in Clare is 19 which includes 9 members from local government and agencies and 10 members from local development and community interests. The breakdown is as follows:

Elected members (4)

• Cllr. Johnny Flynn
• Cllr. Bill Chambers
• Cllr. Gerard Flynn
• Cllr. Cillian Murphy

Chief Executive (1)

• Pat Dowling

Head of Enterprise (1)

• Padraic McElwee

State Agencies (3)

• Bedelia Collins, Health Service Executive
• Mary Moloney, Department of Social Protection
• Paul Patton, Limerick and Clare Education & Training Board

Community and Voluntary Interests (2)

• Niamh O'Callaghan, Clare PPN
• Hilary Tonge, Clare PPN

Social Inclusion Interests (2)

• Dermot Hayes, Clare PPN
• Colette Bradley, Clare PPN

Environment Interest (1)

“To Be Filled – Proposal received from PPN for Ratification at September Council Meeting”

Clare Local Development Company (1)

• Doirin Graham

Agricultural Sector (1)

• Thomas Lane

Youth Sector (1)

• Brian McManus, Clare Youth Services

Employers/Business (1)

• Sheila Lynch, Ennis Chamber of Commerce

Age Friendly Alliance Board (1)

• Maurice Harvey

Aim of the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)

The act sets out the purpose of the LCDC and states that it will:

• Have primary responsibility for co-ordination, governance, planning and oversight of local development spend, whether that spend is delivered by local authorities or on behalf of the state by other local development agencies and structures
• Bring a more coherent approach to the implementation of local and community development programmes and interventions, seeking to ensure an integrated approach to local community and local development services between providers and delivery structures
• Drive meaningful citizen and community engagement in the scoping, planning, delivery and evaluation of local and community development programmes
• Ensure a more efficient administration of local and community programmes and delivery structures, the appropriate matching of resources to priorities and the achievement of value-for-money in the delivery and governance of programmes and the management of local delivery arrangements
• Develop approaches that focus on learning and feedback, enhancing the links between practice and policy development, and
• Explore and pursue opportunities for additional funding resources for the area, whether Exchequer, EU, private or other sources

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Functions of the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)

As per Section 128B of the act, the functions of the committee are as follows:

• To prepare and adopt the community elements of the 6 year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) in accordance with section 66C and any regulations made, or general policy guidelines issued, by the minister
• The LCDC is the contracting authority for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018 – 2022 which provides funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies. Administered by Pobal and funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Rural and Community Development, it also receives funding from the European Social Fund under the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020. SICAP 2018-2022 is implemented in Clare by the Clare Local Development Company (CLDC).

• To implement, or to arrange for the implementation of, the community elements of the LECP
• To undertake a review of the community elements of the LECP at least once within the period of 6 calendar years after the plan was adopted or last amended and, if the committee considers it necessary after any such review:
  1. To amend the community elements of the plan, or
  2. To prepare and adopt new community elements of the plan to be made by the local authority under the provisions of the act, and any such amendment or adoption shall be in accordance with any regulations made, or general policy guidelines issued, by the minister for that purpose
• To monitor and review on an ongoing basis the implementation of the community elements of the plan, including performance against any benchmarks or indicators of performance set out in the community elements of the plan or other relevant indicators and, if the committee considers appropriate, to revise the actions and strategies set to achieve the objectives of those elements of the plan
• To co-ordinate, manage and oversee the implementation of local and community development programmes that have been either:
  1. Approved by resolution from time to time for that purpose by the local authority concerned in respect of all or part of its administrative area, or
  2. Agreed for that purpose between the committee and a public authority, and to ensure that any plans and strategies related to those programmes are implemented in accordance with the community elements of the plan
• To seek to ensure effectiveness, consistency, co-ordination and avoidance of duplication between the local and community development programmes to which paragraph (e) applies and the functions of the local authority in relation to promoting the interests of local communities or in other related functions under section 66 of the Act (as provided for by subsection(2)) or otherwise,
• In addition to those programmes to which paragraphs (e) and (f) apply, to pursue the co-ordination generally of all local and community development programmes within the functional area of the committee, so as to optimise resources for the benefit of local communities in that area and improve the efficiency with which publicly-funded local and community development resources are used
• To consider and adopt a statement in respect of the economic elements of a draft of the plan prepared by the local authority
• Not later than 31st March in each year, to prepare, adopt and submit to the local authority a report in relation to the performance of its functions during the year immediately preceding the year in which the report is submitted

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The committee, in performing its functions, shall have regard to:

• The resources, wherever originating from, that are available or likely to become available to it for the purpose of such performance and the need to secure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of such resources
• The need for co-operation with, and the co-ordination of its activities with those of local authorities, public authorities and publicly funded bodies, the performance of some of whose functions affect or may affect the committee, so as to ensure efficiency and economy in the performance by the committee of its functions
• The need for consultation with public authorities and publicly funded bodies in appropriate cases
• The need for consistency with the policies and objectives of the government or any minister of the government or other public authority in so far as they may affect or relate to the committee's functions
• The need to integrate sustainable development considerations into policy development and implementation, and
• The need to promote social inclusion