Vol. 476 No. 7
337 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Welfare if there are elements of positive discrimination exercised by his Department towards particular areas in view of the fact that areas of rural Ireland contribute substantially to our current Objective One status; the form that any such positive discrimination takes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8039/97]
It is the policy of my Department to consider all claims for individual social welfare benefits and pensions on their own merits and to deal with them in an equitable manner in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions. With very minor exceptions in relation to smallholders claiming unemployment assistance, these provisions do not distinguish between claimants from urban or rural backgrounds.
The Department also operates grants schemes which concentrate on supporting local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work and on the provision of funds to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new and emerging community needs.
Under the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations, for example, once-off grants may be made to help organisations working with disadvantaged groups in disadvantaged areas. Under the schemes of grants to locally-based women's and men's groups, grants are provided to groups involved in programmes of self-help and personal development designed to tackle poverty and disadvantage. The scheme of grants for lone parents provides funding for initiatives to assist lone parents to return to work or take up second chance education opportunities.
These grant schemes are designed to positively tackle disadvantaged areas in both rural and urban contexts and do not favour any particular region over another.
