Vol. 500 No. 1
67 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the specific initiatives, if any, he will propose for the targeting of pockets of deprivation in the context of a recent speech to the Foundation for Investing in Communities. [25568/98]
75 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the proposals, if any, he has to ensure the successful implementation of the integrated services project; the amount of resources which will be spent on this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27438/98]
89 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress, if any, made with regard to the implementation phase of the integrated services project which was to have been set up in three urban areas in Dublin and one in Cork; if he will publish the results of the research phase of this project in regard to the four areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3487/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 75 and 89 together.
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 first phase of that project involved a close look at the situation on the ground in four areas – Dublin's North East Inner City, the Canal Communities – Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Garden, St. Michael's House, Dolphin House – Jobstown, Tallaght and Togher, Cork. The outcome strongly suggests the value of closer working and planning relationships between the organisations from the State-funded sector which are active in deprived urban areas. It also indicates the value of taking account of the real needs and experience of end-users in the design and planning of service delivery in those areas.
Following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion, the implementation phase of the project was launched by the Taoiseach on 4 December last at a special meeting of Secretaries General of relevant Departments and chief executive officers of relevant statutory agencies.
The Cabinet Committee has given me responsibility for overseeing arrangements for the implementarion of the project. Each relevant Government Department and statutory agency has been asked to designate an official at national level, and also for each of the target areas, who will be responsible for driving the integrated services process within that Department or agency.
All such persons designated at local level will be asked to come together to examine the needs of each area and how best to address them, as a team. They will be assisted in this process by a national co-ordinator based in ADM Limited, which is looking after operational aspects of the project, and by four development and monitoring officers, one of whom will be based in each of the tartet areas. Candidates have been selected for these posts by open competition and will be in position before the end of this month.
The whole drive towards a more integrated approach to the design and delivery of State services does have significant implications for Departments and agencies, each of whom have been asked to address a number of generic issues relevant to the development of a more integrated, community-informed modus operandi.
