Alan M. Dukes
Ceist:71 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has in the context of the EC Presidency, to reinforce anti-poverty programmes in Ireland.
Written Answers. - EC Presidency.
Proposals for a third EC Poverty Programme were adopted by the Council of Ministers in June 1989. The programme will have a budget of £42.7 million and will run from December 1989 to June 1994. I fully supported the Commission proposals in this area and have been active in getting the programme into operation as far as Ireland is concerned.
Projects in Limerick, Connemara and Dublin have been selected by the Commission to participate in the programme. The Limerick and Connemara projects are large scale pilot projects aimed at developing an integrated set of measures to tackle poverty. The project in Dublin is a cultural and educational project with travellers.
The process involved in putting forward projects for inclusion in the third programme revealed a wide range of activities in different areas of the country concerned with combating poverty.
There are also a number of projects which were set up under the Second EC Poverty Programme 1985-1989 and which I am anxious to support. With this in mind the Government have agreed to make available a special allocation of £550,000 for continued support and assistance for projects of this kind. I am discussing with the Combat Poverty Agency how this money will be allocated.
As part of the activities during the Irish Presidency I have arranged to host a conference in June 1990 under the Third EC programme on the role of non-governmental or voluntary organisations in relation to disadvantaged groups in society. The conference is being funded jointly by the EC and the Government and represents a major initiative in this context of the EC programme.