Development Boards (CDBs) were set up in each of the thirty four County and City Local Authority areas in 2000 with the aim of providing better integration of public and local service delivery under the Social Partnership arrangement. They included representatives from the four key areas of local government, social partnership, local development and state agencies with the objective of bringing those areas closer to the people.
The Boards are chaired by a local authority member and serviced by local authority staff under the Director of Services for Community and Enterprise. Their first objective was to draw up and implement a plan for their areas to enhance social, cultural and economic strategy over a ten year period. These CDB Strategies were published in 2002 and reviewed at three year intervals over subsequent years.
As part of the ongoing strategy Community Fora were established in each of the local authority areas in 2000 in order provide an opportunity for all sections of the community to get involved in the process. The Fora play an important role in providing the community with the opportunity of making an input into the CDB process. The various areas of local development into which the Forum provides and opportunity of community input includes the important local authority Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs) and the Joint Policing Committees.
Public sector agencies are encouraged to consult with local Fora when seeking feedback on policy proposals and initiatives at local level. Local Community Fora are supported through the Directors of Community and Enterprise and their staff. While Fora are constituted in different manners through their individual Constitutions and membership rules they are required to be all embracing in respect of the various interests which make up the community and also to act in an open, transparent and democratic manner. Community Fora are supported by annual Government Grant paid to and disbursed by the local authority concerned.
In 2003 an umbrella body known as the Irish National Community and Voluntary Forum was set up. It represents as appropriate the various Fora throughout the country and operates in a transparent and open manner.
LEITRIM’S COMMUNITY FORUM
Leitrim’s Community Forum is composed of approximately twenty six members. The North and South Leitrim Community Networks each elect two male and two female representatives while each of the four electoral areas elect one male and one female member. The remainder are elected by meetings of sectoral groups convened for that purpose some months after each local authority election. The Networks elect at the same time but the electoral areas elect their representatives initially to the County Development Company (a body created from the amalgamation of Leader Companies and Partnerships in each county a few years ago) and these elections are held every three years. Elected as Directors of the Development Company these members automatically sit on the Forum.
All community and voluntary groups in the county can become members of the Forum as long as they are not one issue groups, have been in existence for more than a year, hold AGMs and elect officers and possess either a bank or a credit union account. To become a member an eligible group must register and a registration form can be accessed by email to leitrimcommunityforum@gmail.com.
Apart from being able to participate in the election process from time to time membership of the Forum confers other benefits. One of the most important of these is the availability of an exclusive insurance facility to Community Forum members. The Community Fora at national level have teamed up with BHP Brokers to provide this reasonably priced policy which is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance and which covers liability, property and other requirements.
The Leitrim Community Forum as well as providing representation for the Community & Voluntary Sector on many important Bodies inside and outside the County has also addressed issues such as population decline, public transport, third level fees, health and welfare issues and employment creation insofar as they relate to Leitrim. Many of these matters will become more critical in the immediate future because of the economic situations and others such as the retention of existing services will come to the fore. The importance of all Community & Voluntary organisations within Leitrim supporting their Community Form cannot be over emphasised.