Mr Alan Kelly T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, launches the Roscrea Community Action Plan 2016-2019, and announces funding for some early actions.
Issued : Tuesday 8 December, 2015
On Friday, 4 December 2015, Minister Alan Kelly launched the Roscrea Community Action Plan on behalf of Tipperary County Council and the Roscrea Community Action Partnership and welcomed the integrated approach, based on the RAPID (Revitalising Areas through Planning, Investment and Development) model of planning and interagency work. This model will be a key tool in implementing key community actions in the plan under the Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Tipperary.
For these reasons, Roscrea has been prioritised in the County Tipperary Local Economic and Community Plan as being in need of an interagency focus to develop a broad community based, realistic plan that can meet the needs of its residents and businesses.
The plan for Roscrea was developed over the last six months and identifies key actions in the business, social, community and environmental areas. There was widespread consultation with all stakeholders and the community and there will be ongoing commitment to the implementation of the plan from all the key stakeholders.
The Minister congratulated Tipperary County Council, who have taken the lead in supporting the development of the Plan and the work of North Tipperary LEADER Partnership (NTLP) which was commissioned by Tipperary County Council to develop the plan, in consultation with all the key agencies, community groups and businesses in Roscrea.
The plan builds on a number of guiding principles for effective community planning and implementation including: community participation and local ownership; promotion of strategic planning; co-ordination of provision of State services; building on existing structures; complementing existing initiatives; flexibility; and targeting of “additional” services, investment and facilities.
The plan builds on and recognises the fact that Roscrea has some great assets, a strong built heritage, a vibrant natural history, a great ethos of volunteering, a friendly and welcoming community spirit, and a vibrant and active community and voluntary sector. It is a community with a very strong work ethic, a can do approach and one that is, with the appropriate assistance and guidance, ready to help itself.
Minister Kelly, in recognising the need for the early delivery of some of the key priorities, identified in the plan, announced that funding was being made available in the coming weeks for:
Support for the RAY (Garda Youth Diversion Project) project through additional staffing support in NTLP to provide for family support work and counselling services.
A Feasibility Study for an enterprise centre, in recognizing the key role of the Local Authority, the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), underpinned by the levels of deprivation in the Town, and the need to develop a strong, vibrant, and sustainable enterprise culture
Fit out costs for the Community House at Gleann Glas, which is so vital to the community served as a focal point for families and their children and for youth activities,
The Minister added that he will be working very closely with Tipperary LCDC to ensure that the LEADER programme will be rolled out across Tipperary in January 2016 and that additional volunteering supports are provided to the County.
Ends.
