Speech by Minister Pat Carey T.D. at
The Wheel’s Annual Conference:
“Building a better Ireland: Working together to make it happen”
Croke Park Conference Centre, 27 May 2010
Introduction
I am very pleased to be able to join you this morning for The Wheel’s annual conference. I would like to thank Deirdre Garvey [CEO of The Wheel], for the invitation to attend this event. I am aware of the good work being done by the Wheel in recent years and I think that the theme for this year’s conference – Building a better Ireland: Working together to make it happen - underlines the organisation’s forward-looking and pragmatic approach.
As someone who has been involved with grassroots community organisations for many years, I am conscious of the debates that are taking place regarding the future of our communities, and the many challenges currently faced by the community and voluntary sector. Let me just say that I am looking forward, in my role as Minister for Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs, to playing my part in these debates and to working together with you to achieve the common objective we share - to develop stronger, more sustainable, communities.
Before I give my thoughts on the theme of today’s conference I would first like to take this opportunity to update you on a couple of issues that I know are of interest to many of you here – namely the Charities Act and the new Local and Community Development Programme.
Charities Act
When I last addressed this conference in my capacity as Minister of State in 2008, I spoke of plans at that time to bring forward the Charities Bill. In the interim, much has been achieved, culminating in the enactment into law of the Charities Act last year. I can now update you on ongoing work in relation to the Act.
The lifecycle of any legislation generally has three distinct phases – preparation, enactment, and implementation. The middle, “enactment”, phase is carried out in the public eye, which enables people to measure progress literally from stage to stage as the Bill moves through the Oireachtas. The other two phases, apart from any public consultation element of course, are different, in that they are generally progressed by officials outside of the public domain, which makes it more difficult for people to measure tangible progress. It is perhaps for this reason that there have been some suggestions that there is not much progress as regards the implementation of the Charities Act. While progress has been slow, I can assure you that there is a lot being done.
We have commenced section 99 and a number of related technical sections from 1st September 2009, and have been dealing with a constitutional challenge to section 99 which failed in the High Court, but which is expected to be brought to the Supreme Court. Also in the legal domain, we are in contact with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the possibility of commencing some further sections, though options are limited until the Charities Regulatory Authority is in place. In this regard, I am hopeful, however, of making some progress shortly.
The legislation is structured in such a way that the implementation phase ultimately leads to a day when:
- the Charities Regulatory Authority is set up;
- the Office of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland is dissolved; and
- a Register of Charities is made available to the public for the first time.
The approach being taken is to ensure that these three events happen on the same day – a day which the Act refers to as “establishment day”.
You will appreciate, therefore, that there are a lot of ducks to be lined up in a row in order to achieve this objective and my officials are working on this at the moment. The establishment of the Authority is a significant challenge in its own right. Budgets, structures, and a location for the new Authority have to be considered, as does the membership of the Authority itself, and, indeed, the Charity Appeals Tribunal. Preparations for the dissolution of the Office of Commissioners and the smooth transfer of its functions to the new Authority also have to be made. There is a substantial amount of work involved in preparing the Register of Charities, which will consist of the existing 7,500 CHY holders. In addition, there are potentially up to 25 sets of regulations to be drafted.
Of course, the new Authority must be in a position to fulfill the range of its statutory functions from day one, so work has to be carried out in areas such as the development of forms, preparation of guidance for charities and the public in relation to the Act and, of course, the development of a website.
Many of you may have attended the successful conference organised by my Department in Dublin Castle earlier this year in relation to the Accountancy Standards Board’s review of accountancy reporting standards. As a follow-on to this, there will soon be further consultation with the charities sector in relation to the activity and financial reports that charities will have to provide to the new Authority.
There is also work to be done by my officials with other statutory bodies who have certain responsibilities under the Act, such as the Revenue Commissioners, the Companies Registration Office, and An Garda Síochána, given the updating of the collection permit system. On a related matter, I am delighted that there has been significant progress in the development of Codes of Practice for Charitable Fundraising project, with the support of my Department.
All in all, I hope you will appreciate that, behind the scenes, there is much being done, and yet more to do, towards the introduction of the new regulatory framework for charities. If you are interested in receiving updates in relation to charities regulation, I would recommend that you add your name to my Department’s mailing list. This can be done through my Department’s website, www.pobail.ie .
LCDP
As you will be aware, the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and the Community Development Programme (CDP) were my Department’s two main social inclusion/community development programmes. My Department saw the need, however, to re-design these programmes, drawing on good international practice and in a way that would support ongoing programme evaluation. Both programmes had a community development element and were delivered through separate local delivery structures. They came to an end on 31 December last and have been superseded by a new integrated programme, the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP).
The aim of the LCDP – which preserves elements of good practice from the CDP/LDSIP Programmes – is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government and its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities.
A key difference between the new LCDP and its predecessor programmes is the fact that, when fully implemented, it will be delivered nationally on an integrated basis by a reduced number of companies. My Department has set out a model for integrated service delivery and structures at a local level, which will involve, among other things, the re-constitution of the voluntary CDP boards from the end of 2010. Each board will then form an advisory committee to the Local Development Company and act as the voluntary management committee for the local project. This approach will preserve the community development ethos and will not detract from the key essential services and supports being provided through the CDP. In addition, the new Programme will enable groups to more objectively demonstrate the positive impacts and outcomes they are securing to meet the needs of local communities. The next phase, to end-June, will cover the development of local integration plans for reduced structures post-2010.
My Department has clearly indicated to CDPs and Local Development Companies that it is open to them to bring forward other models, as long as the proposed alternatives can achieve integrated and cost effective service delivery. However, it is not possible to maintain the status quo and any alternative model has to show that:
- it will result in less structures;
- it holds the potential for integrated delivery;
- it has the potential for introducing efficiencies; and
- it will reduce the burden on company directors in CDPs.
Some alternative models have already passed the test and are in the process of being agreed, subject to some details being finalised. I would expect others to emerge between now and end-June. My Department has clearly signalled that the integration strategy is not a “one size fits all” approach. Where alternatives prove effective, we are more than happy to accept them.
It remains my primary concern to make every effort to ensure that the front-line services provided by, or supported through, my Department – especially those providing tangible benefits for the most disadvantaged communities – are protected. Under the new Programme, local development companies will be able to identify and meet the needs of communities and the Department will pay particular attention to RAPID areas and to those areas where a CDP is no longer operating. My Department and Pobal will be providing a range of supports to ensure the process is successful.
Conference Theme
Turning to the theme of today’s conference – Building a better Ireland: Working together to make it happen – as a starting point, I think it is important to acknowledge the progress that has been made over the past decade or so and the transformation that has taken place within our communities, and, indeed, in Irish society generally, in that period. These radical changes are also reflected in the evolution of the community & voluntary sector. Irish society today is much more modern and professional in its outlook and the community & voluntary sector is equally so. The sector often acts on behalf of the State – and engages successfully with the State – on many fronts. It would not be possible to do so without a high level of expertise, professionalism and dedication.
In recent years, the Government sought to encourage the dynamism of the community & voluntary sector and prioritised significant new resources in support of this. Research carried out on behalf of my Department in 2008 estimates that the State provides in excess of €5 billion per annum to the wider non-profit sector in Ireland. This funding supports the essential services that voluntary groups provide to Irish society on a not-for-profit basis. These services are many and varied and include social care, drug services, childcare, eldercare, health services, education, environmental, sport, cultural, advocacy, artistic and countless other activities.
The important role of the non-profit sector in our society has also been reflected in the development of relations between the Government and community & voluntary organisations. Over the past number of years, the C&V sector has had a significant input into policies that have shaped our country and continues to have an important voice in the ongoing dialogue between social partners. In my role as Minister for the National Drugs Strategy, I am very aware of the role and on-going input that the sector has had in the development of the policy and in the continued implementation of the Strategy.
We, in Government, are grateful for this partnership approach which we believe will sustain us through the good times and the bad.
While we enjoyed a remarkable period of growth in terms of the breadth and scale of supports to communities, the difficult economic climate that we are now experiencing requires a reevaluation of how best we can deliver services and supports whilst tackling the new challenges which present themselves.
I am aware that, for many voluntary organisations, managing the day to day work is a challenge in itself; however it is important that we do not lose sight of the longer-term vision of how the community & voluntary sector can add value within communities and within Irish society. By subjecting our activities to critical appraisal and making necessary adjustments now, the sector can emerge from this recession stronger, more resilient and more competitive. In this regard, not only is the relationship between the State and the C&V sector important, but equally so, how the sector manages its own resources to ensure that it avoids duplication and fragmentation and maximises value for money.
I believe there is scope for better coordination – both on the statutory side and on non-profit side – and by addressing this now we can ensure that those we are all working to help on the ground in the various communities will receive the maximum benefit.
It is important, therefore, that we all embrace the opportunities that exist for more innovative approaches and flexible responses. In my view, the community & voluntary sector can play a dual role at this time – firstly, by supporting the most disadvantaged and the most excluded in our society, and secondly, by acting as a catalyst for long-term social and economic recovery in Ireland through the development of more vibrant communities.
Conclusion
The Government will continue to develop an enabling environment to encourage community development. In response to the changing context in which disadvantage is being experienced, my Department has reaffirmed the focus of its resources on communities where disadvantage and isolation still prevails. We recognise the importance of improving the quality of the lives of people in local communities by helping them to develop their own capacity to change their situation for the better. Indeed, my Department was set up with this philosophy in mind – to produce a more co-ordinated engagement by the State with communities around the country, as they pursue their own development.
On that note, I wish you well with your discussions today, and I very much look forward to hearing the feedback and conclusions from the Conference.
Go raibh maith agaibh.
ENDS
