I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together.
My Department has for several years operated a range of grants schemes and community development support programmes which concentrate on a wide range of support for local self–
help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work, and on the provision of seed money to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new and emerging community needs.
The focus of these programmes is on providing support to locally-based community groups involved in anti-poverty work within their communities by supporting these communities to develop their capacity to change their situation for the better, to enable them to participate in society and have a real say in their own development.
Under Partnership 2000 my Department was committed to identifying 30 new priority areas for inclusion in the community development programme. The technical group which advises me on areas for expansion of the programmes, first gathered baseline information on levels of disadvantage and poverty. In this regard the group had available to it, the report "Targeting Disadvantage under the Community Development Programme" which was commissioned at its request by the Combat Poverty Agency. The report ranked all areas of the State in terms of comparative disadvantage. Further research was undertaken by the regional support agencies funded under the community development programme to further identify the priority areas for assistance under the programmes.
This targeting exercise identified Newbridge and north west Kildare as priority areas in County Kildare for assistance under the programmes. The Curragh was also identified as an area which may require assistance pending the outcome of pre-development work in Newbridge and north west Kildare. The Regional Support Agency for Kildare/Wicklow will be undertaking the necessary work to establish projects in these areas.
The current expansion of the community development support programmes represents a very high increase in the number of funded projects to come on stream over the next 18 months or so.