Vol. 568 No. 6
310 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the exact official definition used by his Department of the terms disadvantage, disadvantaged area and disadvantaged community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17024/03]
The terms referred to in the question are not defined in the codes of legislation for which my Department is responsible. In relation to disadvantaged areas, strand II of the RAPID programme is targeted at provincial towns with areas of particular disadvantage. These towns were identified with special reference to the extent of local authority housing and other relevant indicators, such as levels of educational attainment and the Trutz Haase index of deprivation. Ministerial responsibility for the entire RAPID programme, including strand II, now rests with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
