Vol. 482 No. 1
8 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if an EU and Irish Exchequer urban initiative programme is being considered to follow on from the current urban initiative; and, if so, the timescale for such consideration. [16111/97]
URBAN is a Community-wide initiative under the aegis of the EU Commission. It is not a programme unique to Ireland. URBAN focuses on disadvantaged areas in cities with a population of 100,000 or more. The future of URBAN and indeed of all Community initiatives will be considered in the context of the Commission's Agenda 2000 package, published last July which, incidentally, envisages the consolidation of existing Community Initiatives under three headings — Inter-Regional Co-operation, that is INTERREG; Rural Development — Leader and Human Resources — ADAPT, etc.
The future of EU Structural Funds, Cohesion Funds and Community initiatives and Ireland's share of them will be the object of lengthy and complex negotiations. I expect it will be late 1998 or early 1999 before a clear picture emerges. In Ireland, the URBAN Initiative is just getting off the ground so it is a little early to give detailed consideration to a follow-on programme. Nevertheless, a focus on urban areas of greatest disadvantage is one of the Government's main priorities which will not be lost sight of in discussions on future EU funding.
In the last Government I was charged with responsibility for local development which I found enormously interesting and challenging. I am glad to see it in the capable hands of the Minister of State, Deputy Flood, who I know will make a very good job of it and I wish him well in his new task.
In relation to URBAN does the Minister agree since the last urban initiative centred on north Cork and on Dublin, specifically on west Tallaght, Clondalkin, Ballymun, Darndale and Finglas, that given the population requirement of 100,000 and the great need in the south inner city, and in parts of the north inner city not covered by any other scheme, such as the Dublin Docklands Authority, Temple Bar or the like, that lung of the south and north inner city is very badly deprived and should be top of the list in any new urban initiative?
I thank Deputy Mitchell for extending his good wishes to me and look forward to building on the work already done in this area.
In the context of disadvantage I agree it is very important that we examine all these areas which are of very considerable interest. The Government at the Taoiseach's instigation, by means of a Cabinet Subcommittee on Social Inclusion and Drugs, decided to tackle in a co-ordinated manner the underlying causes of major disadvantage in these areas.
The URBAN Initiative obviously makes a considerable contribution to the areas mentioned by Deputy Mitchell. However, in December 1995 the European Council asked the Commission to prepare a composite paper setting out, among other things, a strategy for future enlargement of the European Union and proposals for a new multi-annual budget to bring EU policies and its finances into the 21st century. The Commission responded in July with Agenda 2000 which is a starting point for a wide-ranging debate. Final decisions on that agenda will have to be taken by the European Council and Parliament. As the Deputy said, it is extremely important to examine additional areas when the opportunity arises.
Does the Minister agree there is a tendency in official thinking to believe that anywhere south of the River Liffey is relatively well off, that poverty is confined to other areas such as north or west Dublin? Given that parts of the south inner city has unemployment levels approaching 75 per cent, poor housing conditions, a poor environment, a participation rate in third level education as low as 15 per cent, and given the work done by the South West Inner City Network, crossing three constituencies, from Dublin South, South Central into Dublin Central, crossing the River Liffey in that part of Dublin North not involved in any project at present, does the Minister agree it is very difficult to envisage any area more deprived or in need of an urban initiative, in which more preparatory work has been undertaken, than in that one, bearing in mind the work undertaken by SWICN and public representatives collectively in an endeavour to have that area included in the next URBAN Initiative?
Will the Minister give priority consideration to that very needy area in the next URBAN Initiative programme and urge the European Commission to do so?
I am very familiar with the work of the South West Inner City Network and of the exceptional progress made by it in highlighting issues affecting people in that area. Deputy Gay Mitchell and his colleagues, representing the three constituencies involved, have made a significant contribution to highlighting the issues of disadvantage in the area to which he referred.
While this is one significant area, there are others of considerable disadvantage way above what might be deemed to be the national average. Disadvantage in those areas is absolutely unacceptable to Government whose intention it is to tackle areas, such as that referred to by Deputy Mitchell, in a intensive, co-ordinated, manner involving the provision of services, the allocation of resources to a significant extent on a planned basis so that, within a reasonable period, it will become obvious to the Deputy and his colleagues in these constituencies — and particularly to the residents of these areas of major disadvantage — that progress has been made over a wide range of issues including employment, facilities delivered by local authorities and those expected to be delivered by statutory agencies and authorities. It is part of my function to ensure that co-ordination is brought to bear in tackling the issues of disadvantage in that part of our capital city referred to by the Deputy in addition to others.
There are no votes in this issue for anybody but, given the criterion of the URBAN Initiative relates to a population of 100,000 or more and the great need in the inner city lung to which I referred — the network group there having prepared the way — will the Minister ensure that this area is included? That whole lung of the city, mainly south of the Liffey, is one of the most deprived areas. If this URBAN initiative could be secured it would make the area attractive not only to the people who reside there but also to people visiting and working in it. We have a long way to go to achieve that. I appeal to the Minister of State, in the interests of justice and fairness, to give this particular lung, which meets the population requirement, top priority and to urge the European Commission to consider it favourably for the next URBAN initiative.
The Deputy can be assured I will take his well-informed comments on board in any future negotiations with the EU on an expansion of this particular scheme. I assure the House that areas of the type referred to by the Deputy are suffering major disadvantage and it is the intention of the Government, and part of my own responsibility, to tackle the underlying causes of that disadvantage which extend over a wide range of issues, including the question of drug misuse, etc. The issues referred to by the Deputy are complex but they have arisen as a result of long periods of neglect. As the Deputy said, we are in agreement on the need to tackle the underlying causes of disadvantage and neglect. In a relatively short period we hope to make a significant and visible impact on these areas where the people who are entitled to the best services will receive them and where communities, such as those referred to by the Deputy, will play an important part in developing facilities to meet their own needs.
