Offaly Local Development Committee (LCDC)
The Offaly Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) was established by Offaly County Council in 2014 in response to Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government, reforms to improve the delivery of services for the citizen, greater efficiency and effectiveness and gives local government a central role in local and community development. This places local government as the main vehicle of governance and public service at local level – leading economic, social and community development, delivering efficient and good value services, and representing citizens and local communities effectively and accountably.
The LCDC includes Public and Private interests in the County - 3 Offaly County Council elected Councillors, Community, Voluntary & Environmental representatives, State Agencies, and the Local Development Company. The Chief Officer of the Local Community Development Committee is Martin Daly, Senior Executive Officer, Community and Culture Section, Offaly County Council, Ph: 057 93 46800.
To date the Offaly LCDC has:
- Operating as the contract holder for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) for Offaly - see here for SICAP outline
- Dispersed €196,952 in Community Enhancement Programme funding in 2020 and €150,330 in 2019.
- Dispersed €65,553 in COVID-19 Emergency Funding in May 2020
| Offaly LCDC Members - Statutory Interests 9 |
| Sector | Member Name | Organisation |
| Local Authority Elected Members | Cllr Declan Harvey (Chair) Cllr John Leahy Cllr Noel Cribbin | Offaly County Council Offaly County Council Offaly County Council |
| Local Authority Officials | Anna Marie Delaney Orla Martin | Offaly County Council Offaly County Council |
| State Agencies | Tony Dalton Con Feighery James Carney Ann Sheerin | Laois & Offaly Education and Training Board Teagasc Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Health Services Executive |
| Offaly LCDC Members - Non Statutory Interests 10 |
| Community & Voluntary | Sinead McDonagh (Vice Chair) Sylvia Sweeney | Offaly Public Participation Network Community Representatives (2) |
Social Inclusion | Elizabeth Fleming Margaret Murphy | Offaly Public Participation Network Social Inclusion Representatives (2) |
| Environment | Rebekah Keaveny | Offaly Public Participation Network Environmental Representative (1) |
Local development and community development bodies | Brendan O’Loughlin | Offaly Local Development Company |
Other civic society or ‘local and community’ interests | Dominic Doheny Richard Scally Fechin Daly Christina Byrne | Construction Industry Federation Offaly Irish Farmers Association Construction Industry Slieve Bloom Rural Development Co-operative |
| Total Offaly LCDC Membership 19 |
Background information to the LCDC
What is the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)?
LCDCs have been set up to bring about a more co-ordinated approach to the management of local development and community funding in Offaly. The committee has a number of functions amongst which are;
- To prepare a six year Local Economic and Commuinity Plan (LECP) for Offaly
- To co-ordinate, manage and oversee the implementation of local community development programmes including the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
- In Offaly, the LCDC is the Local Action Group (LAG) application for LEADER/Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 funds.
The LCDC in Offaly is supported by Offaly County Council and involves representatives from further education, business, agriculture, community as well as locally elected councillors.
