Written Answers. - Community Development.
John Ellis
Question:
136
Mr. Ellis
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the research, if any, carried out in deprived areas of the cities, towns and villages of the country to identify the problems that people are encountering in such areas; the plans, if any, there are to alleviate these problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15641/00]
Jack Wall
Question:
143
Mr. Wall
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the research his Department has carried out in deprived areas in the country to identify the problems which families face in these areas; the results of such research; and the proposals his Department has to deal with such deprivation.
[15542/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 143 together.
My Department has for a number of years operated a range of grants schemes and community development support programmes which concentrate on a wide range of support for local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work, and on the provision of seed money to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new and emerging community needs.
Under Partnership 2000, my Department was committed to identifying 30 new priority areas for inclusion in the community development programme. The technical group, established to advise me on areas and groups to be supported under the various programmes, first gathered baseline information on levels of disadvantage and poverty. In this regard the group had available to it the report Targeting Disadvantage under the Community Development Programme, which was commissioned at its request by the Combat Poverty Agency. The report ranked all areas of the State in terms of comparative disadvantage. Further research was undertaken by the regional support agencies funded under the community development programme to further identify the priority areas for assistance under the programmes.
In addition to this targeting exercise, locally-based community groups can make direct application to my Department seeking inclusion in these programmes. In assessing any such applications the technical group takes account of avail able research and data to ensure that assistance under the programmes is targeted at the most disadvantaged communities.
My Department undertakes research in relation to policy issues both internally and externally through consultants commissioned to undertake analysis on its behalf. In addition to such research, targeting of assistance under my Department's programmes is informed by the research conducted by a number of agencies, including the Combat Poverty Agency. In this regard the Combat Poverty Agency receives funding in excess of £2 million per annum and has within its remit the examination of the nature, causes and extent of poverty in the State and can commission research for that purpose. At present the Combat Poverty Agency is engaged in a pilot project with South Dublin County Council and Sligo County Council which will attempt to collate data, at district electoral division level, which can be used to create poverty profiles for local areas. Departments, representatives of local authorities, and the small area health research unit in Trinity College are also involved in this initiative.
The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness also provides that research will be carried out in a number of key areas, including poverty, health, education and training. In relation to the monitoring and evaluation of poverty, further research to determine the extent and causes of poverty will be carried out and systems of measuring poverty among groups not currently included will also be examined – people living in institutions, travellers and the homeless. The programme also provides for new studies to complement the current living in Ireland and household budget surveys, and to address the gender dimensions of poverty.
In the areas of health, education and training, the Central Statistics Office, the Equality Authority and relevant Departments will develop a system for the collection and dissemination of desegregated data for women and, in relation to health, education and training, for travellers.
In addition, resources are to be allocated to health research as part of a comprehensive approach to ensuring adequate medium and long-term planning of health provision. Data systems will be adapted to enable desegregation of health access and outcomes across the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, target groups.
It is expected that the above research will help to inform the targeting of funding at areas of high deprivation.
