The Department for Local Government is launching the first funding initiative for the Regions. By means of these funds, the Regions are empowered to carry out and develop an integrated approach for the localities within the five regions by identifying strategies that need to be carried out for the cultural, social and economic development in the localities within the region by means of a Cultural, Social and Economic Plan for each respective region.
The DLG allocated the sum of Eur100,000 distributed equally to each Regional Committee. By means of this funding, the Regions would be in a position to identify the social, cultural and economic requirements within the localities of the region, thus having a researched study that would serve an ideal platform for future requests for funding under the various funding schemes available, both at national and EU level. The areas identified in guidelines of such ESC Plan (which can be downloaded by clicking here) are ideal for the preparatory work in connection with the studies that this initiative would be funding, namley: in the Social field – more public facilities for use by families, Local Councils operating with a social conscience, security for the communities; in the Cultural field – initiatives that promote local artists; in the Economic field – less bureaucracy, devolution of public property giving more autonomy to local councils.
This funding initiative should, therefore, be a first step in a series of measures aimed at giving more effective autonomy to Regions. Through this and other initiatives, Regions would be given the opportunity to propose specific and innovative project proposals, including giving a regional identity as well as serving as a platform on which the local councils forming part of the region could identify their particular social, cultural and economic requirements. Thus, by giving a stronger regional identity, the local councils within that region would effectively be addressing the needs of their citizens.
