Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
113 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he envisages that the €1.5 million set aside to be spent on the sports capital programme in RAPID areas will be allocated to qualifying groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11928/04]
View answer161 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the criteria for funding under the RAPID scheme. [11893/04]
View answer170 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the funding announced for the local authority housing estate enhancement scheme will be allocated to the designated areas; why this money has been allocated to only eight of the 45 disadvantaged areas included in the RAPID scheme; if he expects that the remaining 37 areas will continue to be excluded from this scheme; his views on whether €30,000 for each of the eight areas is inadequate in view of the high urban concentrations in these areas and the large number of estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11941/04]
View answer171 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding that will be made available under the RAPID scheme; if the amount will be matched by other Departments; and if local community and AIT approval will be mandatory for any proposed projects to be funded under RAPID. [11892/04]
View answer839 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will give an update on plans to implement the RAPID programme in the Tallaght West area, Dublin 24; the recent contacts with the various groups in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11412/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 161, 170, 171 and 839 together.
In future the RAPID programme will operate on several levels in tandem. In the first instance, there are many small-scale proposals from RAPID plans that have been sent unnecessarily to Departments for consideration, when they could be dealt with more effectively at local level. I am introducing a new delivery mechanism to progress such actions, supported by a new dedicated fund of €4.5 million in 2004. These projects will be co-funded by the relevant local agency etc. under several categories, with broad levels of funding agreed at national level.
In addition, €2 million is being provided for the local authority housing estate enhancement scheme. This scheme will be operated by local authorities and funded on a euro for euro basis, with €1 million from my Department and €1 million from the local authorities through the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Projects to be supported will be selected by the local authorities in consultation with the area implementation teams.
The maximum cost per project will be €50,000. Funding of 45% of project cost is available from my Department. A further 45% is being provided from local authority internal capital receipts and local authorities must provide an additional 10% from their own revenue resources. The types of works eligible for funding include environmental works, landscaping, paving, development of open spaces, seating areas, lighting and boundary walls.
Local authorities and area implementation teams were notified of their allocations last week as shown in the table.
|
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs |
Local Authority Internal Capital Receipts |
|
|
25 Strand I areas |
€30,000 to each area |
€30,000 to each area |
|
20 Strand II areas |
€20,000 to each area |
€20,000 to each area |
Each of the three RAPID areas in Tallaght (Strand I) received allocations as outlined in the table.
Funding of €3 million is being provided to support the development of playgrounds in RAPID areas. My Department is providing €1.5 million and the Department of Health and Children has made a further €1.5 million available to my Department. The scheme aims to provide for new playgrounds or for the refurbishment of existing playgrounds in designated RAPID areas. The local authority, in consultation with the relevant area implementation team, will select the projects to be supported. Details of the operation of this scheme are being finalised.
I also intend to allocate top-up funding to successful projects from RAPID areas under the sports capital programme and €1.5 million has been set aside for this purpose. It is expected that the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism will announce the allocations under the programme soon and I will then consider top-up funding to successful projects from RAPID areas. Other programmes are also under consideration.
It is proposed that Departments will continue to consider larger projects from RAPID plans for allocations from funding streams within each Department. Departments will deal with fewer projects and will be in a better position to prioritise projects and set out timescales for further actions.
Work on improving integration and co-ordination of service delivery at local level will continue, as this is an important component of the RAPID programme.
