Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 1

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Dick Spring

Question:

84 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the steps he intends to take to ensure that funding from the national development plan will be accelerated into RAPID areas which have submitted action plans; the steps being taken to ensure that the Government will respond quickly and flexibly to the needs identified in these plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27883/01]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

85 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if, in view of the slowdown in economic growth, he will ensure the maintenance of an adequate level of funding for social inclusion programmes operated in the RAPID areas and the partnership areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27884/01]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

122 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress made to date regarding the implementation of the RAPID programme; the number of areas in respect of which plans have been submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27881/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 85 and 122 together.

Despite the recent slowdown in economic activity, the Government is committed to ensuring that adequate funding is available for social inclusion measures, as envisaged in the national development plan.

As the Deputies are aware, the RAPID programme fulfils a commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to identify the 25 most disadvantaged areas in the country and develop a focus across the social inclusion measures in the NDP. RAPID will ensure that priority attention is given to these areas by Departments, local authorities and State agencies through frontloading funding which is available to them for these areas under the NDP. By targeting investment under the NDP at the 25 identified areas, it is intended that this initiative will benefit 165,000 people.

An area implementation team with the support of a local co-ordinator has been appointed to each of the 25 areas and they are working towards the completion of area action plans before the end of the year. These plans will be the blueprint for prioritisation within these areas for the NDP during 2002 and 2003.

The area implementation teams include representatives from all relevant Departments and State agencies as well as representatives from the voluntary and community sector and local residents. The representatives from Departments and State agencies will ensure that their agency's input into the programme is effectively managed and resourced and that negotiations take place with other Departments or agencies on issues of service co-ordination and integration. The teams will also ensure that local community representatives are consulted in relation to service delivery and agency specific responses are developed in response to issues identified as a priority.

A national monitoring committee is also being established to monitor the implementation of the programme at national level and to report on progress to Government through the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion. The committee, which will be chaired by Maureen Gaffney, will begin its work in January and will include representatives from all relevant Departments, State agencies, the voluntary and community sector and the social partners.

In so far as the work of the area partnership companies are concerned, there is no change from the provision of £220 million included under the local development measure of the two regional operational programmes.

Question No. 86 answered with Question No. 78.