Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Urban Communities.
Pat Rabbitte
Question:
44
Mr. Rabbitte
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
when the four pilot programmes on social disadvantage announced in the budget will be in operation; the way in which the programmes will be managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7165/98]
One of the Government's key priorities is to ensure a more focused and better co-ordinated response by the statutory authorities in addressing the needs of severely disadvantaged urban communities. To that end, the interdepartmental committee on local development, which I chair, has been given a mandate to oversee an integrated services project which aims to produce a model of best practice that can be extended to other deprived urban areas.
The Pilot Project will target four areas, viz.:
—Dublin's North-East Inner City
—The Canal Communities (Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Gardens, St. Michael's House, Dolphin House)
—Jobstown, Tallaght
—Togher, Cork.
The initial stage of the project will involve consultation with local communities about the needs of their areas; profiling existing services and resources; identifying the extent of integration between them; and devising a framework to enhance co-ordination and integration efforts.
A steering group comprising representatives from the Departments of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Environment and Local Government and from Area Development Management Limited has been established under the auspices of the interdepartmental committee on local development to oversee the project.
Given ADM's experience in relation to partnerships and its knowledge of local communities, it has been given an important role in the day-to-day management of the project. ADM has already consulted the relevant partnerships to ask for their support and co-operation in advancing the project and the response has been positive.
At the operational level, ADM has advertised for a "central co-ordinator" to oversee the project's implementation. Reports will be drawn up on the four areas, in consultation with the local communities. It is intended that the co-ordinator will begin work in early April and that initial reports may be completed by July.
I hope that final recommendations will go to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion in the autumn. Action after that date will be determined by the nature of the recommendations and the decisions of the Cabinet committee.
