The Fingal County Childcare Committee was established in 2001 as one of the 33 County/City Childcare Committees that exist throughout the country, FCCC was formed to act in an advisory capacity to all childcare services in Fingal County, providing advice, information and assistance on a wide variety of topics in the childcare field. FLP sit on this board as a named agency advising around the issues facing parents in the County as well as feeding back issues relating to social inclusion and additional challenges for community childcare providers.

The Dublin North City and County Regional Drugs Task Force (RDTF) was established in December 2003. The regional task force was assigned the responsibility for ensuring the development of a co-ordinated response to tackling the drug problem in the non-Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTF) parts of its region. Regional Drugs Task Forces are the latest structure to be put in place to direct, support and resource the delivery of addiction services and community responses to problematic drug use, following a recommendation in the 2001-2008 National Drugs Strategy (NDS). FLP sit on this board representing community issues as well as collaborating on projects as needs arise.

The Fingal Volunteer Centre Steering Group was brought together in 2005 to drive the Volunteer Action under the Fingal Improved Cohesion Plan. The group included Blanchardstown Area Partnership, Comhairle, Co-operation Fingal, Fingal County Council, Volunteer Centres Ireland. The project has received funding from the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Cohesion Funds, Fingal County Council, Blanchardstown Area Partnership and Co-operation Fingal.

The Centre has been open to the public since November 2006 initially employing a development worker, and since July 2008 a Manager and Development Worker. The Centre has offices in Blanchardstown, Balbriggan and Swords. Along with 20 other Volunteer Centres in the Republic of Ireland, the Fingal Volunteer Centre is a member of VCI (Volunteer Centres Ireland), the national organisation with responsibility for developing volunteering nationally and locally, a mandate approved and supported by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. FLP continue to sit on this board supporting this valuable service to the Fingal area.

The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a Department of Education & Science initiative that aims to have a positive impact on levels of pupil retention in primary and second level schools and on the number of pupils who successfully complete the Senior Cycle, or equivalent. SCP entails targeting individual young people of school-going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes. It is based on the project model with an integrated approach involving primary and post primary schools, parents and relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies.

Projects are required to engage in a consultative and planning process with schools’ staff, with parents and with local representatives of relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies in the development of the annual retention plans. What makes the School Completion Programme unique is its 'bottom up' approach, which allows the local management committees to put together plans and supports that target the needs of local young people at risk of early school leaving. Each project employs a local Coordinator to run the project at local level. FLP are involved in supporting this initiative in two location i.e. the North County Dublin School Completion Programme and the Swords School Completion Programme.

The programme is based at the Traveller Resource Centre in St. Macullins Park, Matt Lane, Balbriggan. This centre has been available to the Traveller Programme since September 2004 via the Fingal County Council. It is envisaged that this facility will become the centre point for the progress and development of the Traveller actions. FLP have supported this project from its initiation and continue to do so through board representation and collaborative work as opportunities arise.

The Fingal Data Hub is a technical interface that allows the member agencies of the Fingal Development Board to share and publish anonymised administrative data and official statistics. The Data Hub is a partnership between the following Organisations:

• Fingal County Council

• The Health Service Executive

• County Dublin VEC

• Fingal County Childcare Committee

• The Department of Education

• The Department of Social and Family Affairs

• FÁS

• Blanchardstown Area Partnership

• Fingal LEADER Partnership

The Fingal Data Hub operates as a subcommittee of The Fingal County Development Board.  FLP continue to be involved in this collaboration.

The Fingal Disability Network is a network of agencies and community groups working on disability issues in Fingal. The network serves primarily as an information sharing platform but is currently working on rising the profile of the network to encourage new membership.  When resources permit, the network has also looked at training opportunities and arranged sessions for the wider community. The Fingal Disability Network has also addressed policy discussions raising potential difficulties in policy changes that would affect those living with a disability.  FLP are involved in this network representing many local disability groups.

The Fingal Senior Citizens Network is a network of community based groups working towards the improvement of services for Senior Citizens in Fingal. The group covers all of Fingal. There are approximately 35,000 senior citizens in the Fingal area. Fingal LEADER Partnership are involved with this committee feeding in issues presented from work as well as working on projects within the network.

The Swords/Balbriggan Community Policing Fora is a project funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs through the North Dublin City and County Regional Drug Task Force as part of its objectives within the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008.

A Community Policing Forum brings together representatives from the local authority, Gardaí, public representatives and representatives of the community and voluntary sector to discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting the policing of the area with regards to reviewing crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, including patterns and levels of misuse of alcohol and drugs. The Community Policing Fora hold public meetings quarterly in both Swords and Balbriggan. The issues brought forward at these meetings are then discussed at the Forum Board meeting and an adequate plan is put in place with a view to resolving these issues. For more information on the Community Policing Fora contact Ena Norris – Coordinator of Swords/Balbriggan Community Policing Fora on 086 7716810.

The Fingal Children’s Services Committee is a recent initiative lead by the HSE and Fingal County Council in accordance with the Partnership Arrangement Towards 2016. This group are currently developing a strategy towards services for young people and children in the Fingal area. It will form the basis for decision making in relation to the planning and delivery of services to children and their families in the Fingal area. Currently membership of the Children’s Service Committee is made up of Fingal LEADER Partnership, Blanchardstown Area Partnership, Fingal County Childcare Committee and rapidly expanding.

The County Development Board in Fingal is a collection 35 people who represent local authority (8 seats), local development agencies (5 seats), state agencies (14 seats) and the social partners’ (8 seats). The Board’s mission is to provide greater coherence across all the various state and state funded public services and infrastructure. There are a number of more concrete objectives within this:

• Constantly examine current public service provision for duplication and eliminate overlaps (i.e. make the greatest effect with exchequer money)

• Identify gaps in key service areas (where services do not exist) or infrastructure and fill these gaps

• Closer partnership between local authorities and local development bodies operating within county boundary

• Co-ordinate the long-term plans of all the Board member agencies and act in the interests of the public and likely service users

• Involve the Social Partners (Community, Businesses and Trade Unions) as much as possible in decisions