Vol. 575 No. 5
68 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the measures his Department intends to take to improve services to the Traveller community in view of his recent speech in Castlebar. [28583/03]
It is my Department's view that local or community involvement in developing solutions to problems of disadvantage is the essential ingredient of any successful programme or scheme.
Reflecting that view, my Department currently provides core funding to a number of projects working on Traveller issues. Under the community development support programmes, 20 projects received funding totalling €2.1 million in 2003. I propose to continue funding those groups in 2004.
My Department also funds a specialist support agency, Pavee Point, to deal with community development issues pertaining to Travellers at a national level. Many other projects, funded under the community development support programmes, while not having a specific Traveller focus, work with Travellers in their areas, where relevant.
