Bertie Ahern
Question:4 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the areas of policy, if any, that are being discussed in the Interdepartmental Policy Committee on Local Development, chaired by his Department. [2965/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Interdepartmental Policy Committee.
The interdepartmental policy committee on local development meets on a monthly basis to review progress on the implementation of the local development programme — this includes the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development, that is, county enterprise boards, area partnership companies, Sub-Programme 3 — Urban and Village Renewal — and community initiatives such as Leader — to identify issues affecting one or more Departments, agreeing how they should be progressed or, in the case of those which require attention by Government, to prepare recommendations to address the issues raised; and to ensure effective interdepartmental co-ordination on local development issues.
The committee is primarily concerned at present with reviewing progress in the establishment and co-ordination of the community based mechanisms, such as Local Employment Services which are being established in 14 areas, 12 of which are partnerships and community employment, which have been put in place to support local development.
Will my constituency receive the same proportion of funds as that of the Minister of State from this development?
I was not in the House last week but I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have already dealt with this matter. The Deputy was very courteous last week and permitted me to defer the questions he tabled to be answered today. Another Deputy did not do so. I would have informed Deputy Ahern that my constituency received £237,000 and his received between £170,000 and £200,000. This matter represents much ado about nothing. It was drummed up by a Deputy in my constituency and written about by a journalist who works for a so-called reputable newspaper and should have known better.
That is no way for the Minister of State to speak of Deputy Eric Byrne in his absence.
Deputy De Rossa will get the Minister of State for that.
My constituency did not receive a fraction of the money to which the Minister of State referred. What has become of the question of co-ordinating these schemes as suggested by the Barrington report when the Minister of State is providing such funding to area partnership boards?
Galway East was a beneficiary.
Not in the same proportion.
I am aware of this because I visited Mount Bellew, Dunmore and Tuam recently. The reason that Dublin Central and Dublin South Central did disproportionately well is that Tallaght, Clondalkin, Ballymun, Finglas, Darndale and north Cork received £16 million between them from urban funds, which south and north inner city Dublin did not receive. Galway did receive a contribution in this regard.
As regards the general question, there is a need for a co-ordinating committee to account for all these funds. I hope to announce to the House some time in the near future that local public representatives will be included on that. There has been some resistance in this regard, but I am trying to address that democratic deficit.