Eisiúint Meáin: Óstálann an tAire Stáit Jerry Buttimer Comhairliúchán le Páirtithe Leasmhara maidir le forbairt straitéise nua chun tacú leis an earnáil phobail agus dheonach
Media Release
Wednesday, 23rd July 2025
Minister of State Jerry Buttimer hosts Stakeholder Consultation on the development of a new strategy to support the community and voluntary sector
Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, today (Wednesday, 23rd July 2025) hosted a stakeholder consultation event in Tullamore for organisations across the community and voluntary sector to contribute to the development of a new strategy to support the sector.
The event follows the announcement earlier this month by Minister Buttimer of a public consultation on the development of a new whole-of-government strategy as a successor to the current strategy: Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019-2024, which was extended into 2025.
The new strategy will look to build upon the structures, achievements and objectives of ‘Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities’ for the upcoming period 2026 – 2030.
The stakeholder consultation event was attended by 100 representatives of local and community development organisations, as well as representatives of Public Participation Networks and local authorities.
Opening the consultation event, Minister Buttimer said:
“As Minister with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities, it is my privilege to lead on the development of a successor strategy that will take us to the period of 2030. It will build up upon the existing structures, strategic objectives and achievements of the previous strategy, while taking account of new contexts, challenges and priorities for the community and voluntary sector.
“The process of developing the new strategy will be rooted in the agreed set of values and principles for collaboration and partnership working with the community and voluntary sector at national and local level. These provide a foundation for all consultation, collaboration and partnership working between the community and voluntary sector and central and local government.
“The new strategy will further strengthen engagement and the relationship and partnership between Government and the community and voluntary sector, which has significantly developed over the last number of years.”
The event was also addressed by Mary Hurley, Secretary General of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, who acknowledged the vital role played by the sector in Ireland and highlighted the many achievements of the previous strategy, which were delivered in partnership with the community and voluntary sector.
The development of the new strategy will be led by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in collaboration with the Cross-Sectoral Group on local and community development. The Department will engage with national and local government and key stakeholders from the community and voluntary sector.
The new strategy will set out clear objectives, and specific actions to be implemented in a collaborative manner.
Eisiúint Meáin
Céadaoin 23 Iúil 2025
Óstálann an tAire Stáit Jerry Buttimer Comhairliúchán le Páirtithe Leasmhara
maidir le forbairt straitéise nua chun tacú leis an earnáil phobail agus dheonach
Inniu, an 23 Iúil, d’óstáil an tAire Stáit atá freagrach as Forbairt Phobail agus Carthanachtaí, Jerry Buttimer TD, imeacht comhairliúcháin le páirtithe leasmhara i dTulach Mhór i gcomhair eagraíochtaí ar fud na hearnála pobail agus deonaí chun cur le forbairt straitéise nua chun tacú leis an earnáil.
Reáchtáladh an t-imeacht seo tar éis fógra a rinne an tAire Buttimer ní ba luaithe an mhí seo faoi chomhairliúchán poiblí maidir le forbairt straitéise uile-rialtais nua mar chomharba ar an straitéis reatha: Pobail Inbhuanaithe, Chuimsitheacha agus Chumhachtaithe: Straitéis cúig bliana chun tacú leis an earnáil phobail agus dheonach in Éirinn 2019-2024, a síneadh go dtí 2025.
Sa straitéis nua, beifear ag iarraidh cur le struchtúir, éachtaí agus cuspóirí Phobail Inbhuanaithe, Chuimsitheacha agus Chumhachtaithe don tréimhse atá le teacht 2026 – 2030.
D’fhreastail 100 ionadaí ó eagraíochtaí forbartha áitiúla agus pobail, chomh maith le hionadaithe ó Líonraí Rannpháirtíochta Poiblí agus údaráis áitiúla, ar an imeacht comhairliúcháin le páirtithe leasmhara.
Ag oscailt an imeachta comhairliúcháin, dúirt an tAire Buttimer:
“Mar Aire le freagracht speisialta as Forbairt Phobail agus Carthanachtaí, is mór an onóir domsa ceannaireacht a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt straitéise comharba a thabharfaidh sinn go tréimhse 2030. Sa straitéis seo, tógfar ar na struchtúir atá ann cheana féin, ar na cuspóirí straitéiseacha agus ar éachtaí na straitéise roimhe seo, agus comhthéacsanna, dúshláin agus tosaíochtaí nua don phobal agus don earnáil dheonach á gcur san áireamh.
“Beidh próiseas forbartha na straitéise nua fréamhaithe sa tsraith luachanna agus prionsabal comhaontaithe maidir le comhoibriú agus comhpháirtíocht leis an bpobal agus leis an earnáil dheonach ar an leibhéal náisiúnta agus áitiúil. Soláthraítear iontu seo bunús do gach comhairliúchán, comhoibriú agus comhpháirtíocht idir an pobal agus an earnáil dheonach agus an rialtas láir agus áitiúil.
“Forbraíodh an rannpháirtíocht agus an caidreamh agus an chomhpháirtíocht idir an Rialtas agus an pobal agus an earnáil dheonach go suntasach le roinnt blianta anuas, agus bainfear úsáid as an straitéis nua chun iad seo a neartú.”
Labhair Mary Hurley, Ard-Rúnaí an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, ag an imeacht chomh maith. D’aithin sí an ról ríthábhachtach atá ag an earnáil in Éirinn agus leag sí béim ar na héachtaí iomadúla a bhain leis an straitéis roimhe seo, a seachadadh i gcomhpháirtíocht leis an earnáil phobail agus dheonach.
Beidh forbairt na straitéise nua faoi stiúir an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, i gcomhar leis an nGrúpa Tras-Earnála um fhorbairt áitiúil agus phobail. Beidh an Roinn i mbun oibre leis an rialtas náisiúnta agus áitiúil agus le páirtithe leasmhara tábhachtacha ón earnáil phobail agus dheonach.
Sa straitéis nua leagfar amach cuspóirí soiléire, agus gníomhartha sonracha a chuirfear i bhfeidhm ar bhealach comhoibríoch.