Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 40 of 22 February 2005.

My Department was established by Government in June 2002. When announcing the decision to establish the Department, the Taoiseach stressed the need for Government to address issues of regional and social balance in a more effective way, as well as securing economic development. He explained that my Department was being set up to produce a more co-ordinated engagement by the State with communities throughout the country as they pursue their own development.

As Minister I have responsibility for a wide range of programmes covering community and local development, drugs, volunteering, Gaeltacht, Irish language and rural development. Most of these measures, individually and collectively, focus on communities, particularly those that are vulnerable or under threat. Those communities may be in rural or inner city settings, grappling with difficulties caused by a range of factors, including declining populations, unemployment, language issues, social disadvantage or drug misuse. As well as communities which can be defined in terms of geographic location, we also support communities that are defined on the basis of a common focus on a particular issue.

The key principle underlying my Department's activities is the provision of support that enables communities to identify and address problems in their areas. Our purpose is to provide support to communities in the most appropriate way as they work to shape their futures, address their common goals and achieve their full potential.

It is this bottom up approach, where communities are empowered to develop solutions to their difficulties, that is the best source of fresh thinking to tackle such problems. As indicated in my reply of 22 February 2005, in addition to schemes specifically directed at rural and Gaeltacht areas, the programmes operated by my Department include community development programme, grants for community and voluntary sector, local development social inclusion programme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund and the RAPID programme. More than €129 million has been provided in my Department's Estimate in 2005 for these programmes. In addition, grants under the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board are available to communities experiencing disadvantage.

I accept that there is no room for complacency. We are always attempting to improve services to communities. However, the foregoing is concrete and comprehensive evidence that the Government is committed to supporting communities as they tackle the difficulties caused by disadvantage, exclusion and isolation.

See this speech in context