Minister for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, announced the expansion of the Empowering Communities Programme (ECP) to two new areas: Tallaght-Jobstown and Roscommon-Castlereagh. This programme targets areas with high deprivation through community development, aiming to address poverty and social exclusion.
A Community Engagement Worker will be hired for each area to build relationships between local stakeholders, community groups, and agencies. Minister O’Brien emphasized the importance of local communities identifying and addressing their own issues.
The ECP supports communities in creating and implementing solutions for local concerns, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The initiative will work alongside other government programs like the Community Safety Partnerships and the Healthy Communities Programme, aligning with the government’s strategy to support community and voluntary sectors.
To date, over €4 million has been allocated to the ECP, which initially focused on 14 areas identified by the Pobal HP Deprivation Index. The programme was expanded to Cherry Orchard in 2023, with an additional €150,000 in funding. The ECP aims to build community trust and integration through direct engagement with residents.
The selected areas for the programme are spread across various local authorities including Dublin City, South Dublin, Limerick City and County, Westmeath, Kildare, Longford, Galway County, Cork City, Mayo, Wexford, and Donegal.