I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 to 224, inclusive, and 226 and 227 together.
The Deputies may be aware that I have confirmed continued funding of nine national anti-poverty networks in the amount of €1.351 million annually, representing effectively a 5% increase in funding for the networks concerned, whose focus is on Travellers, unemployment, refugees, rural poverty, lone parents, older people and disabled people. This decision is in line with my Department's commitment, in the context of funding of the NAPNs, to focus on concentrating available resources on support for communities experiencing disadvantage, exclusion and isolation. I do not believe the community workers' co-operative meets this criterion. There is already a well-developed structure providing support to the sector and, accordingly, CWC funding as an anti-poverty network will be discontinued from 30 March 2005.
This decision is taken in the context of existing substantial funding by the Department of six regional support agencies, amounting to €2.3 million; 38 partnership companies, amounting to €45.7 million; 185 community development projects, amounting to €20.1 million; and, under the White Paper, 69 networks and federations, including the NAPNs, amounting to €4.2 million. Funding of community workers co-operative projects in the amount of €358,413 under the PEACE programme is not affected by this decision.