Vol. 470 No. 2
32 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the purposes to which EU aid under the URBAN Programme will be put in the areas that will benefit from such aid; and if he will report on the action plans received in this respect. [16338/96]
URBAN is a European Union initiative to find solutions to the serious social problems in depressed urban areas, through supporting schemes for economic and social revitalisation, the renovation of facilities and infrastructures, and environmental improvement.
The Operational Programme for the implementation of URBAN in Ireland 1996-1999, has recently been signed by the European Commission. As previously announced, the initiative will apply in two areas in Dublin — Finglas/ Ballymun/Darndale and Tallaght/Clondalkin and also in the northside of Cork city.
Under the first round of URBAN, funding to a total of £16.5 million was approved by the Commission. This money has been allocated equally between the three areas, with priority for north Dublin being given to Ballymun. The Government has agreed that the second round of "reserve" funding of £4.5 million, recently approved by the Commission, will go to projects in Finglas and Darndale.
Under the Operational Programme there are six eligible measures to which funding can be allocated in each area. These are 1. Employment and Enterprise Development, 2. Training and Education, 3. Community Infrastructure, 4. Children and Youth, 5. Environment, 6. Community Development.
The three steering groups have submitted area action plans to my Department. These plans contain proposals for projects to be implemented under the six measures and they are currently being appraised by my Department, with the assistance of independent consultants. When this process is completed, the plans must then be submitted to the first meeting of the monitoring committee for URBAN, for approval of the strategies, targets and performance indicators envisaged in the plans. This meeting is planned for 25 October 1996.
