Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004
44 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has proposals to provide extra funding for those whose needs he had intended to meet originally under the RAPID programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33228/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has made a number of specific allocations to projects that were submitted in RAPID plans. Six new community development projects in RAPID areas were prioritised since the commencement of the programme, with each receiving a renewable one year contract for funding of €60,000. Approximately €3.6 million was allocated to specific projects from RAPID plans from funding available to my Department for local drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund. A further €1 million was also allocated under the premises initiative for a community drugs project. Special provision was made for RAPID areas under the dormant accounts plan. Of the €30 million dormant accounts fund allocated to date, 70%, or €21 million, has been allocated to RAPID areas.
As the Deputy is aware, I have also put in place a mechanism to help progress small scale proposals at local level in RAPID areas, supported by a dedicated fund of €4.5 million in 2004. These proposals are being co-funded by the relevant Department or local agency under a number of categories, with broad levels of funding agreed at national level. Funding totalling €2 million was allocated to RAPID areas under the local authority housing estate enhancement scheme, which is co-funded by my Department and the local authorities. Under the RAPID playgrounds scheme, which my Department co-funds with the Department of Health and Children, a total of €3 million was allocated to RAPID areas. My Department has provided top-up funding of €2.2 million to successful projects in RAPID areas that were endorsed by the area implementation teams under the sports capital programme 2004, which is administered by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. My Department is also providing approximately €170,000 to co-fund a number of specific projects in RAPID areas with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The roll-out of these co-funding measures will continue into 2005 with an increased allocation of €6 million. I hope to make further announcements in this regard in the New Year.
As regards the larger projects from RAPID plans that have already been submitted to Departments, these will continue to be considered for funding within existing fundingstreams in each Department. However, I expect that Departments will now be dealing with a smaller number of projects and will, therefore, be in a better position to prioritise projects and set out time scales for further actions. Work on improving integration and co-ordination of service delivery at local level will also continue, as this is a key component of the RAPID programme.
Finally, I will continue to raise prioritisation of the RAPID programme with my ministerial colleagues, particularly in regard to non-capital issues from RAPID plans.
In view of the report published yesterday on poverty, particularly among women, will the Minister ask RAPID teams throughout the country to identify projects which would target this problem? I welcome the Department's increased allocation from €4.4 million to €6 million for next year.
It pleased me that, under the equal measure, which is targeted towards women, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform specified that €7 million of the €12 million would be spent in RAPID areas. This indicates that Departments are entering into the spirit of things in regard to the RAPID programme, which is a significant step in the right direction.
When I visit partnerships and community projects, I generally find that women are very much to the fore and the leaders in much of the development taking place. I welcome this, even though it is also important to have gender balance.
The report indicates that women are least likely to become involved in the business of local government, politics and so on. While I agree with the Minister that women are particularly prominent in community projects, attention should be directed to the specific issue identified in the report with a view to devising strategies for the greater involvement of women in public life in particular.
We are straying into a much bigger question if we are talking about local and national politics and so on.
It is empowerment.
It might be many things. However, many people would say the career of a Deputy, particularly a non-Dublin Deputy, is not one that leads to a great lifestyle in terms of being away from home and so on. People must make choices, and who is making the wise choice? I am sure all of us in this House like what we do, but many people tell me that they would not do this job.
Even standing for local councils or town commissioners.
All the parties should address this issue in their national programme. I would like to see many more women involved in politics. However, it is a much wider issue than the RAPID programme. We must continue to address the matter nationally.
It is about building confidence in communities. One in four women lives in poverty. I did not expect the figure to be so high. It is not an intellectual wish, it is a fact that we need to do more about getting women involved in politics and so on.
We should separate the two issues. Perhaps if we changed our lifestyle we would attract more women into politics.
However, to go back to the other issue, it is fair to say that if one visits the communities targeted in the RAPID programme, one will find that a disproportionate number of women are engaged in the process, which is a good thing. Yesterday, I visited a project in which just one man was involved. All the others involved were women. At times the problem is ensuring that men engage in projects, because we do not want just one man involved. We want a balance. I have always said that in many ways women are the key to their own self-development and they are a huge driver of change. It is important to ensure that women are involved in these projects.
In his original reply, the Minister referred to the dormant accounts fund, the young people's facilities and services fund and funds for local drugs task forces. Does citing these funds not leave the Minister open to the charge that many community organisations made, that the RAPID programme is now a badging exercise? Rather than having separate funding in its own right, it is re-allocated funding from other sources which the Minister is choosing to refer to as RAPID funding.
I do not know how often I must repeat myself. I did not create the RAPID programme, which was introduced to bring about re-prioritisation under the national development plan. Some €17 billion was included in the national development plan for social inclusion and RAPID was meant to be a front-loading of that into RAPID areas. Therefore, it was explicit from the beginning that there would not be a specific fund for RAPID. Because I felt it would be a significant addition to RAPID, I persuaded the Government last year to provide €4.5 million matching funds to deal with small issues and €6 million this year. The dormant accounts plan was changed to ring-fence money for RAPID areas. We are also dealing with issues raised in RAPID plans that had nothing to do with the national development plan. These are all added on to RAPID. The Deputy should read the documentation and the press releases. When announced, the RAPID programme was about exactly what I read out in the reply to the question. It was about prioritising spend under the national development plan on social inclusion measures in RAPID areas.
