With the recognition of Local Community Development Committees (LCDC) and Children’s and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) as key local structures, funding from the new Healthy Ireland Fund was offered to the LCDCs and CYPSCs to support innovative, cross-sectoral, evidence-based projects, programmes and initiatives that implemented key national policies including: –
- Get Ireland Active, the National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland,
- A Healthy Weight for Ireland Obesity Policy and Action Plan
- National Sexual Health Strategy
- Tobacco Free Ireland
The Healthy Ireland Fund supports projects and programmes aimed at children, young people and their families, and communities and vulnerable groups who are most at risk of experiencing health inequalities.
In addition, the development of local strategic plans for health and wellbeing was supported to strengthen the existing approaches outlined in Local Economic and Community Plans (LECP) as well as enabling greater collaboration and planning across LCDCs and CYPSCs. Collaboration between LCDCs and CYPSCs, and integration of these plans, was encouraged to foster relationships and maximise opportunities at the local level. For many local authority areas, this strategic planning process also supported membership of the Healthy Cities and Counties Network.