A key objective of the Government's Programme for Local Government Renewal is closer partnership between local authorities and local development bodies (Area partnerships, LEADER Groups and County/City Enterprise Boards) operating at local level. While these agencies were each doing good work, they had, to a certain extent, been operating in parallel. This reduced their effectiveness and led to duplication and overlap in some areas.
Against this background, the Government in June 1998 established an Interdepartmental Task Force on the Integration of Local Government and Local Development Systems, chaired by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. The Report of the Task Force on the Integration of Local Government and Local Development Systems (August 1998) was approved by Government and the Task Force has been mandated to continue in order to oversee implementation of the Report's recommendations.
One of the principal recommendations of the Task Force Report was the establishment of County/City Development Boards (CDBs) in each of the 29 county councils, and in each of the 5 major cities to bring about an integrated approach to the delivery of both State and local development services at local level. Each CDB is required to prepare and oversee the implementation of a ten year county/city Strategy for Economic, Social and Cultural Development, which will provide the template guiding all public services and local development activities locally; in effect, bringing more coherence to the planning and delivery of services at local level. All thirty four Strategies for Economic, Social and Cultural Development have now been published.
Sligo County Development Board (CDB) had its inaugural meeting on the 27th March, 2000. Membership of the Board is drawn from Local Government, Local Development, State Agencies and the Social Partners including the Community and Voluntary Sector. By adopting this partnership approach it is intended that Sligo will develop in an integrated and cohesive manner with efforts being channelled to coordinate the provision of quality services. The Board’s primary task was to prepare a Strategy for Economic, Social and cultural development for County Sligo for the period 2002-2012. The Strategy is the framework within which all agencies operating at local level agree to work together for more effective delivery of public services.
The main functions of Sligo CDB are to:
Key goals of the CDB process include:
Sligo County Council, Sligo Borough Council, HSE Northwest, FAS, Teagasc, County Sligo VEC, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Institute of Technology Sligo, St Angela’s College, Western Development Commission, Department of Education andScience, Department of Social and Family Affairs, An Garda Siochana, Failte Ireland Northwest, Sligo County Enterprise Board, Sligo Leader Partnership Co, Sligo County Childcare Committee, Sligo Chamber of Commerce, ICTU, Sligo County Community Forum, ICMSA, Environmental Representative.
The Social Inclusion Measures Group is a sub-group of the County Development Board (CDB). The functions of the group are to:
The membership of the SIM Working Group is determined initially by the County Development Board (CDB). The CDB identified organisations in Co. Sligo that are involved in delivering social inclusion work.
The role of the Economic Development Sub-Committee is to provide a focal point for Economic Promotion of County Sligo and to monitor the implementation of the County Development Board’s Economic Development Strategy. The following is an outline of the role of the Economic Development Sub-Committee: