It was frustrating for Muintir na Tire, which pioneered the whole concept of a community development process for more than half-a-century, to be left without adequate funding, the president of the organisation, Mr Jim Quigley, said at the weekend.
He told the Diamond Jubilee conference of the organisation in Co Clare that that was despite years of approaches to successive Irish governments.
Muintir na Tire strongly recommends representative community councils as a local structure to bring about economic and social development in the long term.
The organisation recognises that communities need to be organised and developed sufficiently to avail of programmes promoted by leaders, county enterprise boards and other EU initiatives, he added.
Mr Quigley said the absence of a rural development policy was a serious problem for Ireland.
"Having been represented on the Rural Development Policy Group, the organisation feels that the recommendations of this group must not be ignored, especially in relation to the upcoming discussions on Agenda 2000."
He believed insurance costs posed major problems for community councils and community alert groups. People willing to work in a voluntary capacity should not be afraid of litigation and the Government should take on the vested interests in the insurance business to get a resolution of this problem.
Mr Pakie Commins, head of the Rural Economics Unit, Teagasc, warned of major challenges facing voluntary and community development groups after 2000.
