Mr. Denis Leamy:

I will start with the last point from Senator Hopkins. That is part of the discussion we are always having. There is a call for applications. We see applications coming from some of the usual groups that are well-organised. These groups can write submissions well and can meet the criteria or examine the criteria and match it well.

That is why we are relying more on other tools that identify areas of disadvantage and the groups that are most disadvantaged. The idea is that we are not solely relying on what is submitted to us. We have other tests. Senator Hopkins referred to the deprivation index. The index is one criterion used within some programmes. We are keen to see it used in more programmes but it is up to Departments to agree to it. Increasingly, Departments are using the deprivation index to help identify where resources should go. It is taken into account when examining the appraisal of some of the applications.

Reference was made to some areas that may not have strong capacity. We have capacity events to support groups. The work includes building business plans. For example, under the community services programme, an applicant is required to have a three-year business plan. Sometimes we might work with a group over a year or two years to improve capacity at pre-development stage. This can enable groups to apply for the community services programme and they can sustain themselves in the programme. That is done over a period. Anyway, I fully accept the Senator's point: we need to continue improving this area and looking for other ways to assess where the moneys should be going.

When we do geographical testing throughout the country there is a reasonable match. Some areas lose out more than others but there is a reasonable match in terms of the resources matching the areas of disadvantage and where the target groups are.

I welcome the remarks of Senator Hopkins on the seniors alert scheme. I take the point made by the Senator. It is a consideration of ours. We have seen how the seniors alert scheme has worked. We have taken some lessons from it and we are learning how to apply them to other programmes we are involved in. We are in the process of doing that.