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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Mar 1995

Vol. 451 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - EU Urban Initiative.

Deputies Seán Kenny and Broughan want to make their case jointly; each has two and a half minutes.

Three Dublin north city partnerships — Ballymun, Finglas and Northside, with the unanimous support of the elected members of Dublin City Council, have joined to express concern in a single voice for the unemployed and youth of the north city areas of Dublin. The three partnerships have already shown outstanding leadership in developing an imaginative strategy for the north city by capitalising on Dublin Airport and the facilities in its hinterland.

With the support of European Union urban funding they could further stimulate further development by the use of seed money on readymade factories for incoming companies and local enterprise. North city areas are starved of investment in local amenities and do not benefit from the special tax designated status of the inner city.

The partnerships plan to use some of the European Union urban funding to upgrade the town centre of Ballymun and the shopping centre in Darndale. In the Darndale-Belcamp area — under the EU Urban Initiative — they propose to refurbish the Darndale Tenants' and Residents' Association offices to provide office space for groups with associated activities, to refurbish the existing youth services premises so that training programmes can be developed, to expand the Mustard Seed Development Centre to enable them to provide pre-employment training for local men and women and to develop and expand the shopping centre in Darndale, which needs to attract further basic services such as a doctor, chemist and much-needed post office. Darndale also needs a community park with outdoor sports facilities since its particularly large child population needs a purpose-built community play centre to provide a greater service for children and run parenting skills courses for parents with very young children.

The Northside Partnership has now been extended to Kilbarrack, Raheny, Donaghmede and Baldoyle and in the past two years has helped over 1,000 people to get jobs. They have earned the right to be heard and to have their recommendations carefully considered by Government in the selection of the Dublin area to benefit from the EU Urban Initiative.

As leader of Dublin City Council, I was proud to secure the support of all my colleagues in having the north side — Coolock, Finglas and Ballymun — selected for the new EU Urban Initiative, modelled on the Leader programme applicable to urban areas with a population in excess of 100,000. Since Dublin city represents one-seventh of our total population, it was felt this was the best recommendation for submission to Brussels.

It was felt the north side of Dublin city should be designated as an urban area under this initiative for the following reasons. First, the Darndale Resource Centre and Darndale-Belcamp initiative made an excellent, brillantly researched submission deserving careful consideration. Second, the levels of long term unemployment and social deprivation on the north side of the city are unparalleled in any of our other urban regions with a similar population. For example, in several parishes represented by the three partnerships involved, unemployment stands between 45 and 75 per cent, with accompanying problems of social deprivation, such as joyriding and drug abuse, further exacerbating them. Third, the physical environment of these north side districts, especially with their thousands of flats and maisonettes, renders it almost impossible to maintain or develop a good social infrastructure, as a certain number of residents are transient.

Despite the outstanding work of the three partnership companies involved the area in question is the most underfunded in terms of EU, Structural and support funding. In the last period of EU Structural Funds Dublin city received less than 75 per cent of its per capita share of national funds.

I campaigned in Cork city last summer for our Labour Party candidate. I understand the needs of Cork's north side. I also understand the needs of the Clondalkin-Tallaght area. At this juncture I wonder if the most reasonable resolution would be if the three areas under consideration, were put forward for full Urban funding.

I am replying on behalf of the Minister of State who is in Brussels. I thank Deputy Broughan and Deputy Sean Kenny for raising this important matter.

Urban is a European Union initiative intended to help find solutions to the serious social problems in many depressed urban areas. It will provide support for schemes for economic and social revitalisation, the renovation of facilities and infrastructures and environmental improvement. It is intended for areas within cities which have a population of more than 100,000, preferably in Objective I regions and sufering from high rates of unemployment, a decaying urban fabric, poor housing and a lack of social facilities.

Priority will be given to integrated innovative programmes which have a demonstrable added value and help create local employment. In exceptional circumstances, smaller cities could be taken into account. It is expected that 15.5 million ECU or approximately £12.5 million will be available to Ireland under the initiative in the period up to 1999.

The Department of the Taoiseach has responsibility for Urban because of the close links between the process and the objectives of the initiative and those of the local urban and rural development programme.

Proposals for inclusion in the Urban application were received from the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick in September 1994. While all the cities did not meet the strict population criteria, the intention was to give maximum opportunity to interested groups and organisations. Some 44 applications were received from local authorities, other organisations, community groups and individuals.

The application of the initiative in Ireland has been under discussion with the European Commission since the latter part of last year. These discussions will be progressed as quickly as possible in order to finalise the areas in which we will participate. Discussions will continue with the Commission and I hope the issue can be finalised in the near future. As this is an EU initiative, the final decision rests with the Commission.

That is not what they are saying.

My objective is to maximise the benefits from the initiative. I appreciate the concerns expressed about the North Dublin area, the desire to maximise the funding and the quality of the application that was prepared. In any event funding will be available for the areas of Ballymun, Finglas, Coolock, and Darndale-Kilbarrack through the local urban rural development programme. Since Deputy Broughan made a proposal I will bring this information to the attention of the Minister and ask him to consider it favourably.

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