Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 June 2006
80 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will address the general weakness in strategic planning and project implementation found by the recent independent evaluation of the RAPID programme; and the way in which he plans to tackle such difficulties better in the future. [22781/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra84 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will elaborate on the difficulties which have been encountered in securing funding for certain types of projects, particularly in relation to education, training and employment, despite these areas of activity representing a key means by which lasting solutions can be found to issues of social exclusion in RAPID communities, as was noted in the independent evaluation of the RAPID programme. [22785/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 84 together.
My Department, with the support of Pobal, has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the RAPID programme. It is a matter for each Department to respond to recommendations in respect to their area of responsibility. The Deputy will be aware that Pobal commissioned an evaluation of the RAPID programme with the support of my Department. The Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within the 45 designated RAPID areas.
The final report of the evaluators was launched on 1 June last. The report indicates that the experience of the RAPID Programme has been very positive in many areas and the evaluators have concluded that the Programme has made substantial progress in identifying the needs of disadvantaged communities and in implementing important local projects in response to those needs.
The evaluation highlights a weakness in strategic planning and project implementation in some RAPID areas. This has resulted in an ad hoc and reactive approach to developing projects and, in the view of the evaluators, makes it difficult to establish a holistic view of the needs of these areas. The evaluators make a number of recommendations to address this weakness and other issues. The report also highlights some gaps in terms of additional local investment needs for education, training and employment which it states are due, in part, to a lack of leverage funding for education related projects and a lack of planning at national level with regard to employer education programmes and the facilitation at local level of initiatives aimed at promoting employment and training within the community. The evaluators recommend enhanced monitoring structures, the adoption of annual work programmes, and improved corporate and business planning in agencies to prioritise RAPID areas for investment.
I will be considering all evaluation findings and recommendations set out in the Report. Because some of the recommendations relate to areas outside the remit of my Department, I will be working with other Departments and agencies over the coming months in determining appropriate responses.
