Donegal Local Community Development Committee

Information on Donegal Local Community Development Committee can be accessed via the below links:

• Background Information

• The Role of the LCDC

• Donegal LCDC Membership

• Donegal LCDC Meetings

• Current Work of the LCDC

• Departmental Training and Guidance

Background Information

In October 2012, the Government published a document entitled Putting People First which set out recommendations for the alignment of local government and local development. These changes aimed to:

• provide a more central coordinating role for local government in local and community development;

• achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in local and community development programming; and

• improve the delivery of services for citizens and communities.

Legislation based on the recommendations came into effect on June 1st 2014 under Part 6 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014.   The first meeting of the Donegal Local Community Development Committee took place on the 1st July 2014 and meetings continue to take place on a bi-monthly basis.    

The Role of the LCDC

Donegal Local Community Development Committee works in partnership to:

• prepare the community elements of a 6-year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP),
• coordinate, manage and oversee the implementation of local and community development programmes, 
• coordinate local and community development activity in Donegal with the aim of reducing overlaps, avoiding duplication and improving the targeting of resources.

Donegal LCDC Membership

Local Community Development Committees are made up of public and private sector members, including local authority members and officials, State agencies, private sector and local and community development representatives.

The LCDC receives administrative and technical support from Donegal County Council. The Chief Officer, assigned by the Chief Executive of Donegal County Council to support and assist this committee in the exercise of its functions is Paddy Doherty, Divisional Manager, Community & Enterprise Division.  The key function of the Chief Officer is to work jointly with the Chairperson to provide guidance and strategic direction for the LCDC.  Donegal LCDC is made up of 19 members as follows:

Donegal LCDC Meetings

Donegal LCDC Meetings take place every month and are held in County House, Lifford.   The adopted minutes of the LCDC meetings can be found below:

LCDC Meetings 2014 - 2022

Donegal LCDC Minutes 2014- 2022

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2‌‌023 Meetings

LCDC Minutes 15.02.23

LCDC Minutes 15.03.23

LCDC Minutes 26.04.23

LCDC Minutes 31.05.23

LCDC Minutes 21.06.23

LCDC Minutes 04.07.23

LCDC Minutes 11.10.23

LCDC Minutes 15.11.23

LCDC Minutes 13.12.23

2‌‌024 Meetings

LCDC Minutes 23.01.24

LCDC Minutes 27.02.24

LCDC Minutes 20.03.24‌

LCDC Minutes 10.04.24

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2024 Meeting Schedule

 LCDC Annual Reports

LCDC's are required to prepare an Annual Report by the 31st March each year and to submit the report to the local authority.  The Annual Report provides information on the performance and work of the LCDC over the previous year including achievements made and details of ongoing priority working areas.  The Donegal LCDC Annual Report was presented to the March Council Meeting as set out below

LCDC Annual Report 2023‌

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Current Work of the LCDC

The LCDC is the body with responsibility for the management, co-ordination and delivery of a number of programmes.  The current work of the LCDC includes:

1. The Local Economic Community Plan (LECP)
2. The LEADER / Rural Development Programme
3. The Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 

1.  The Local Economic Community Plan (LECP)

The Donegal Local Economic & Community Plan 2016- 2022 (LECP) was adopted by Donegal County Council on 25^th January 2016.  It aims to promote economic development and community development in the County over the next 6 years.  The Donegal LCDC has responsibility for the oversight of the Community aspects of this Plan whilst the Economic aspects of the Plan fall under the remit of the Economic Development Committee.

The Donegal LECP was developed following a wide consultative process involving individuals, the community and voluntary sector, the business community, sectoral focus groups, other statutory and non- statutory organisations and the collaborative work of the LCDC and Economic Development Committee.  The result of the collaborative process undertaken is the preparation of a Partnership Plan which addresses the issues, needs and opportunities of the County across all of the sectors and which consists of a significant regional, (including cross border) dimension.

Aims and Objectives

The Vision of the Plan is stated as follows:

“To connect Donegal’s people and places, harness it’s economic opportunities and to achieve strong, healthy, inclusive and sustainable communities”

The vision underpins and connects the goals, objectives and actions of the Plan.   There are 7 priority Goals of the Plan: 

1. To Develop Donegal as a Connected Place

2. To Harness Donegal’s Natural and Human Capital

3. To Value, Sustain and Develop Our Culture and Creative resource

4. To Promote Sustainable, Inclusive and Healthy Communities

5. To Develop Donegal as a Lead Region for Learning, Research and Innovation

6. To Develop the ‘Donegal’ Brand

7. To Promote Entrepreneurship, Investment and Enterprise

Each Goal has a number of linked high level objectives designed to deliver and achieve each Goal and to respond to the particular areas of priority need that have been identified.  The high level objectives will be implemented through a series of actions (see Volume 2 below) which are the primary mechanism to deliver the Goals and Objectives of the Plan by bringing forward specific measures for economic and community development at a local level.

The Structure of the Plan

The Plan consists of 2 Volumes and 2 Appendices:

• Volume 1 Local Economic Community Plan 2016-2022

• Volume 2 Local Economic Community Plan Actions

• Appendix 1 The Profile of the County

  • Appendix 1, Part 2

• Appendix 2 Participation; Policy Context Review; Key Funding Programmes

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA)

Determinations have been made that (i) the LECP is not likely to have significant effects on the environment and therefore a Strategic Environmental Assessment is not required and also that; (ii) the LECP is not likely to have significant impacts on the Network of Natura 2000 Sites and therefore an Appropriate Assessment is not required.  The determinations in relation to SEA and AA can be viewed at the links below:

• Determination in relation to the need for Strategic Environmental Assessment

• Determination in relation to the need for Appropriate Assessment

2. LEADER

3.   SICAP is the new Social inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP). 

This programme aims to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration.  It was rolled out on 1st April 2015.  The first programme ran until December 2017 with the second programme running from January 2018-December 2023.  A new programme has now commenced and will run from 1st January 2024 to December 2028.  Further information is available at SICAP

Departmental Training and Guidance

Training

In 2015, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government commenced a series of regional information sessions for LCDC Members which aimed to deliver capacity building, provide information and offer networking opportunities to LCDC Members.  The following material, information and presentations were provided during the course of these sessions:

LCDC Presentation 2016

LECP Presentation April 2016

LEADER RDP Presentation 2016

PPN Presentation 2016

SICAP Presentation (2) 2016