Noel Ahern
Question:4 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the reason for the inconsistencies in the recent extensions of the Area Partnerships and Local Development areas for Dublin. [7197/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Operational Programme for Urban and Rural Development.
I informed the House of the areas designated under the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development and the basis on which these areas were chosen in reply to written Question No. 40 of 15 February 1995. These were objective and measurable criteria such as indicators of disadvantage. feasible operational boundaries and viability in terms of size and economic base. I announced the boundaries, based mainly on district electoral divisions, of the Dublin areas on 14 March 1995, and a map has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. District electoral divisions are used as the basis to describe the boundaries for their precision but also because statistical data has been gathered on the basis of district electoral divisions and this facilitates comparison and measuring the success of the programme.
I am conscious of a risk that part of a designated area could include an area or community which might not be considered to meet all the criteria of disadvantage. However, I think that this is more likely to be the case in rural areas, and it was recognised that this was the case, because disadvantage tends to be far more dispersed in rural areas. I do not think I could accept that there are inconsistencies in the case of the partnership areas in Dublin. In fact, a great deal of thought was given to considering how disadvantaged areas surrounded by otherwise affluent areas could benefit from the programme. Hence the designation, for instance, of pockets of disadvantage in Dún Laoghaire and south County Dublin where individual estates have been identified to be targeted in what amounts to an urban region. I doubt that these particular circumstances are replicated elsewhere.
A point to bear in mind also is that the programme refers to the development of areas and enabling people to have greater access to employment opportunities within those areas. The involvement of those who provide employment or service opportunities is essential.
The recommendations for the boundaries of the designated areas were based on assessment of the area and wide local consultation which was undertaken by the national co-ordinating team. The recommendations were to the interdepartmental policy committee on local development and myself. There may be some changes to these boundaries. though I am satisfied that the existing boundaries make sense. However, if the Deputy has a serious concern about any area I would ask him to let me know and I will consider the matter.
Partnerships in the designated areas are among the eligible groups under the operational programme. The others are sectoral organisations such as those representing or working on behalf of travellers or with the capacity to contribute to achieving the objectives of the programme and communities in other areas. These can be assisted in the same way as partnerships if they meet given criteria. Funding for the latter category is in the range of 17 per cent-22 per cent of that available under the sub-programme on integrated development of designated disadvantaged and other areas. This category was included specifically to enable communities outside designated areas to have access to the provisions of the programme.
I have the Minister of State's reply dated 15 February setting out the criteria. I wish to comment on the extension of the boundaries. I am not an expert on the south side of the city but the newly designated Drimnagh-Crumlin partnership area seems to be centred in the Minister's constituency. How does the Minister justify the extension to the Coolock-Darndale partnership area? The new boundaries extend to Sutton Cross and include properties in the £250,000 bracket — I am sure people such as the former Attorney General, Eoghan Fitzsimons, did not ask that his area be designated a disadvantaged area——
It was disadvantaged.
——as well as middle class Raheny and pockets of Clontarf and Griffith Avenue, where the Taoiseach's brother, Deputy Richard Bruton, lives and which we look on as one of the most exclusive avenues in the Drumcondra area. There seems to be no logic to the way the map is drawn. The scheme is about trying to give a leg up to the long term unemployed who live in areas of high unemployment. Surely it nullifies the scheme to give the same advantages to areas all over the place.
We must proceed by way of supplementary questions.
How does the Minister justify the extension to the Coolock-Darndale partnership area when large pockets of local authority estates in my constituency of Dublin North-West have not been included?
The boundaries were drawn on the advice of people who went out and measured the difficulties people face in the community. The Deputy could have mentioned also that Áras an Uachtarán is in a disadvantaged area. The designation of disadvantaged areas is based on district electoral divisions. If the Deputy wants an area designated, and it can be included in a partnership area, I will do that. The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach is the Deputy for Dún Laoghaire which is obviously an area of great advantage but there are pockets of disadvantage. In that area we literally designated housing estates but it was not possible to use that formula in other parts of the city.
The boundary in my area of Crumlin-Drimnagh leaves out Terenure, Templeogue and Harold's Cross but I am aware that parts of Harold's Cross would meet the criteria. The boundaries have to fall somewhere. They were not drawn by me, although I examined them. If the Deputy wishes to have the boundary redrawn in an area contiguous to an existing area he should let me know and I will be happy to have the matter examined. We should not throw out the baby with the bath water.
I will certainly take up the Minister's offer and ask him to reconsider including areas such as Larkhill, Oak Park Estate and so on. My fear is that the Minister has nullified the scheme by being overgenerous in some directions and mean in others.
The extensions to the scheme have been very important. Given that the scheme has been extended, what is the projection for jobs and will school leavers be targeted in the development of these schemes?
This is an integrated programme and I think there is a great deal of misunderstanding about it in the House. People need to read more about local development. I believe that the role of local development in job creation will be similar to that of the credit union movement in the financial sector. It will not replace the IDA or any jobs agency but it will have an important role for a certain segment of the community. I forecast, based on advice I have received, that we should be able to create 8,000 jobs from local development projects in one to five person micro-enterprises. I would not be surprised if over the next five years that target is exceeded but it is what I have set for the five-year period. Those jobs will largely be created in areas of great need. We will be integrating educational opportunities in the programme for those who are most likely to leave school early and who inevitably become long term unemployed.