Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Perhaps the Deputy could do me a favour because I genuinely cannot find a reference to a sum in any of the statements made about RAPID at the beginning. On this famous statement, to which people keep referring, of somebody referring in some way to €2 billion, my suspicion — I cannot find the reference anywhere and I went looking — is that it said X amount of money was available for social inclusion measures in the national development plan, and that relates to the original RAPID programme and how we have changed it.

RAPID began as a re-prioritisation of existing spend on social inclusion measures under the national development plan so that it would be front-loaded in disadvantaged areas. Previously, under NDPs those who were best able to make the applications got the money and, therefore, we tried to make sure the funding under the national development plan would be allocated in RAPID areas. I suspect, in that context, funding for social inclusion was mentioned. However, I have looked up the press releases issued at the time and could not find a reference to this. It is difficult, therefore, to make a comparison with something I cannot find. It was not mentioned in the press releases when RAPID was established.

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