DECLARATION OF SUPPORT FOR IRISH LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES

Secad in Cork has provide a wealth of invaluable projects for our community over the years. We need them to continue

I support community local development. These programs are vital to our community. why change success. Get behind your local community and support them, they are fighting for you and me to keep much needed services available to you.

please let communty workers do what they do best

Without the support of Secad I wouldn't be in business today.

Turning LDC funding into a slush fund subject to political interference from County Councillors is a political wheeze from Phil Hogan. It's political cronyism at its "finest". Handing financial control over to politically motivated County Councils—sure what could go wrong?

I want to support the continuation of the work of local development companies. I hope Minister Hogan can work with, rather than against local communities. Local Government Reform should not lead to the loss of local development companies and all that is good in rural communities. In 2011, a third of the Irish population (33.65%) was in consistent poverty, at risk of poverty or basic deprivation. This equates to 1.5 million people who need additional supports which are not being sufficiently addressed by the state. This was an increase of 2.6 percentage points on the 2010 rate of 31%. The need for the work the existing local development companies was never so great, so lets all draw on what we do well with local development and local authorities working together, rather than the proposed eradication.

I am re inventing aspects of my business and am recieving very valuable assistance through a SECAD mentorship scheme.

Local Development Companies are hugely important in communities - leaving funding resources under their control makes sense from every angle. Their breadth of local knowledge, their awareness of the needs of local communities and their relationships with on-the-ground actors places them in a unique and ideal position for ensuring that funds are well spent on the right projects, and that local areas continue to grow.

This is yet another attack on local democracies, and can't be allowed to go ahead.

Local Development Companies are doing a wonderful job. Why fix what isn't broken?

It is essential that we don't lose the knowledge and experience that has been developed by local development companies over the years. No one understands the position on-the-ground as regards communities and community development as well as these companies. Taking the funding supports from them, and giving them to anyone else, is foolish.

Leader, SECAD and other local agencies provide the opportunity for new Start up’s in businesses in local communities and for people to up skill and re launch themselves into the work place whom would otherwise fall to the wayside losing potential contributors to our local failing economy. The service is invaluable and the decision Makers need to be kept at local level for investment at local level.

absolutely fabulous work done by these groups. I have had fantastic opportunities in personal development and an opportunity for future work because of the help and support I have been given. They empower people so much and give them a sense of community. It is really a sad state of affairs that something that is clearly a working model should be taken away from these wonderful organisations with no regard for all that has been achieved

Local Development Companies work is critical for rural Ireland as it reaches communities which otherwise would be forgotten. It is imperative that the crucial service that is delivered remain, as it is vital to achieve social inclusion and development of local entreprises. The Local Development Companies are key for the economic growth of this country. It is imperative that the Government protected the Irish Local Development Companies and proactively invested more funds and show cased their great works in Rural Ireland. There has been enough destruction in Ireland from the Celtic Tiger fallout perserve what is working.

Delivering Government and EU funding efficiently must be the remit of the Local Development Companies like Avondhu Blackwater Partnership. Wide-ranging expertise among professional LDC staff with local decision-making and total transparency and accountability are surely reasons enough not to accede to the Government’s wish to subsume our Local Partnerships.

We fully support SECAD's efforts and community involvement at Fota Island Resort.

As a full time wheelchair user and having benefited greatly from the services of the avondhu-blackwater home assistance, I dont want any of these services to be swallowed up by local councils

Leader groups use the funds in the communities and this can be seen on the ground.

SECAD has been a fantastic provider of infformation and support for all of us involved in the tourism industry in East Cork and South Cork. It is very difficult times and we need all the support out there to help our industry survive. It is difficult on your own. We need SECAD.

Avondhu/Blackwater Partnership are the Local Development Company for our area. They provide a range of invaluable services for old and isolated people in the community, ie. Local Transport, Listenting Service, Handiman Service. They also provide a much needed Community Employment service to Community Centres and Community Groups. Over the years they provided grants for community projects. We do not think it would be a good idea if Local Development Companies were taken over by the County Councils as we do not think that services would be provided as effectively by the County Councils, who are already overstretched.