Michael Ferris
Question:29 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress made to date with regard to the four pilot projects on social disadvantage. [15479/99]
Written Answers. - Social Disadvantage.
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 pilot a process which aims to produce a model of best practice that is suitable for extension 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 four flats area of the south inner city – Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Gardens, St. Michael's House, Dolphin House – Jobstown, Tallaght and Togher, Cork.
Following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion, the implementation phase of a pilot integrated services project for each of the four areas was launched by the Taoiseach on 4 December last at a special meeting of Secretaries General and chief executive officers of relevant Departments and statutory agencies.
Individual officials have since been designated at national and at local level, responsible for driving the project within their respective Department or agency.
Persons designated at local level in the four areas have commenced the process of identifying local priority actions to address the needs of each area, as part of local implementation teams. They are being assisted in this process by a national co-ordinator based in ADM Ltd., who is looking after operational aspects of the project, and by four development and monitoring officers, one based in each of the target areas.
Progress reports by the development and monitoring officers indicate a commitment from all agencies, at local level, to participate fully in the ISP.
Community consultative forums which allow local people the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the process, and in some cases task groups to focus on specific priority issues, have been established in each area. By the end of this month I will have attended working meetings of the officials of State agencies and community representatives involved in the ISP process in all of the four ISP areas.