Letterkenny Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle has strongly criticised the proposal by Minister Phil Hogan to tender out Local Community Development Programmes for 2015.
Up until now the programme has been delivered on a not for profit basis by local development companies.
Cllr Mc Monagle said that if the LCDP is put out to tender, the fear is that it will lead to a race to the bottom with private companies seeking to undermine pay and conditions with a view to winning tenders and boosting profits.
“It will also impact upon the effective delivery of the local services currently run by local development companies.
“Donegal has already been heavily hit by cutbacks to Community Development Projects. We have lost a number of Community Development Projects this past three years due to funding cutbacks.
“Those that are still operating are working on shoe string budgets and are only keeping their doors open due to the fantastic effort of volunteers and FÁS workers,” he said.
He added that privatisation is not the way forward, it will only lead to a further erosion of Community Development.
“I have no doubt it will harm the spirit of Community Development and lead to a decrease in services currently being provided by Local Community Development Projects across the County.
“I have raised this issue with Sinn Feins Environment Spokesperson Brian Stanley TD, I have requested that he raise this issue in the Dáil next week. It is vital that this move is stopped in the interests of both community workers and those who benefit from the services which they currently deliver.”