Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 2

Written Answers. - Local Development.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

9 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress, if any, made to date 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. [7392/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Mr. Flood)

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 Inter-Departmental 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.

Each of these relevant Departments and statutory agencies have 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.

Persons designated at local level have commenced the process of examining the needs of each area and how best to address them, as a team. They are being assisted in this process by a national co-ordinator based in ADM Limited, who is looking after operational aspects of the Project, and his team of four development and monitoring officers, one based in each of the target areas.

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 has been asked to address a number of generic issues relevant to the development of a more integrated, community-informed modus operandi. Participating Departments and agencies have also been requested to examine, as a matter of urgency, a number of suggestions for local action which emerged in the initial stages of the project.

The work done in relation to the target areas during the research phase was co-ordinated by ADM Ltd. with a good input from community representatives and front-line workers. It was designed to give some feeling for the sort of issues which need to be tackled in order to secure a more integrated approach. It generated a series of suggestions about possible local actions which are being examined by relevant Departments and agencies. In reality, it has given us a baseline from which to work. It was never my intention to have that work formally published.

However, as I do appreciate the support and interest which the Deputy has in this project, I will arrange to have a copy of this research work made available to him.

Up to £500,000 is being made available from my Department's Vote this year for overall administration and salary expenses in respect of the project, which, I should stress is about the integration and enhancement of the delivery of State services and is not a capital grants scheme. Funding of specific local or sectoral actions will be the responsibility of the relevant mainline Departments and agencies.