Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Ó Cuív makes some valid points. I do not disagree with some of them but I must explain where we are in the Department on them. The Deputy is correct in his comments on the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, SICAP. More jobs are being created. One never likes to say it but some people are quite happy to be on schemes, such as the rural social schemes or SOLAS. There is another cohort of society and I was glad to hear the Deputy mention poverty. That is not just a rural or urban problem and the Deputy is correct in saying it affects both types of area. That is why the RAPID programme targets both rural and urban areas.