Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I should be interested to know which of the four to six areas the Deputy believes do not display all the characteristics he mentioned. As far as I am concerned all the areas involved in the RAPID programme have been found through independent analysis to display all the characteristics as regards the problems of inter-generational disadvantage and so on. They would not be RAPID areas, otherwise. Some people are suggesting that I should abandon the RAPID programme and the four to six areas and pick a much small number. I am interested to hear the Deputy's suggestions about the areas he believes do not need the support of the RAPID programme. It is very unlikely, however, that I might agree with him that any of them does not. In fact, the demand from areas not included in RAPID suggests that many of them exhibit these particular manifestations and should be included, too — rather than shedding any of the RAPID areas. The leverage fund is not what RAPID is about, but is just a minuscule part of the programme. I decided, and it was well received, that there were some minor issues that might be dealt with by that type of funding, which would involve leveraging out funding from other Departments and dealing with matters at a local level, rather than big plans being sent to Dublin to erect a piece of pavement or do some estate enhancement — and it has been very successful. The AITs uniformly report that this initiative has been successful.

We have discussed the allegation that somebody promised €2 billion. I cannot find any reference to that in any documentation I have inherited in the Department. I do not know how often I must reiterate this, but if someone can show me where €2 billion was promised, I shall be very grateful because I have all the press releases and there is no mention of it. What is true, however, is that there is an enormous amount of money in the national development plan for social inclusion. That money has been spent and will continue to be spent. Again, as I have indicated, the leverage fund is small. At one stage a few months ago, I reported that a total spend was reported to my Department under the RAPID process in the area of more than €300 million. The big spend relates directly to line Departments giving priority to these areas. That is as it was meant to be from the start. Items such as the dormant accounts and the leverage funds were additional extras devised well after the programme had been launched.

I met recently with all of the community representatives at a conference in Dublin of the RAPID AITs and it was one of the most fruitful and positive meetings I have attended. They were highly interactive and had numerous very good suggestions. The one thing impressed on me that day, however, was that they believe RAPID is making a difference, that it is a long-haul initiative, and that they were ad idem with me, in so far as I could make out, that building on the present programme was much better than what had happened in the past. In the past a programme might be put in place and miracle results were expected overnight. Then it was scrapped and another was put in place, which was also scrapped. The conference was very positive about my thesis to the effect that a programme must be left in place for 20 years with assurances underpinning it as a long-term initiative.

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