The revitalising areas by planning, investment and development programme, otherwise known as the RAPID programme, targets the 25 most deprived neighbourhoods in the State for special investment involving the front-loading of State investment for facilities and services to bring about a major improvement in the living standards of the residents of these areas over the next three years. As the 25 areas identified by the objective designation process are all located in the major urban centres, the Government has decided that there will be a second strand to this programme which will be introduced over the next few months for rural areas and provincial towns.
The second strand of the programme will be drawn up by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the Department of the Environment and Local Government working together to devise proposals to effectively address the particular needs of rural areas and provincial towns. A working group chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and involving officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, the Department of the Environment and Local Government, my own Department and Area Development Management Limited has been established to examine how this strand of the programme might best be put into operation. Once the broad parameters are set, and following consultation with relevant agencies and the social partners, proposals will be submitted to Government in due course.