Seán Crowe
Ceist:500 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if forthcoming cutbacks will not negatively affect RAPID areas. [26131/03]
Written Answers. - Departmental Programmes.
Seamus Healy
Ceist:514 Mr. Healy asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if specific funds will be made available for the RAPID programmes which are endeavouring to improve areas which have been left behind by the Celtic tiger. [26453/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 514 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, it is a matter for each Department to allocate funding to projects in RAPID areas in the context of available NDP funding for measures within their Votes. Details of the allocations for 2004 are being considered in the context of the ongoing discussions on the 2004 Estimates process.
As I have mentioned previously in the House, there are a large number of proposals from RAPID plans that I consider have been submitted unnecessarily to Departments for consideration. Many of the small, localised actions from the plans could be dealt with more efficiently at local level with the assistance of dedicated leverage funding.
This matter is being examined in the context of the 2004 Estimates.