Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This is very important. I noted the statement last week by the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy John Curran, regarding his proposals to bring about integration across the different programmes. He was specific about this when he spoke in my constituency, Cavan. Has the Government carried out a real net effect assessment of this proposition? Will it guarantee the continuation of the range of services and activities that currently enjoy support under the different programmes, or are some at risk as a result of the consolidation about which the Minister of State, Deputy Carey, speaks? Is this another means of cutting back on the already stated commitment which, as I indicated, was reduced by 15% with respect to community development projects, CDPs, in last year's budget? What are we looking at in the upcoming budget, other than the adoption of a €44 million reduction, as recommended by McCarthy? What percentage is the Government currently considering and what are the outcomes and net effect of that? It will mean further reduction in service provision and supports. The idea of integration is a smokescreen to cover the Government's real agenda, which is to cut back the funding provision.

We can look at the task force and the range of recommendations it put forward from which I shall mention a small number. The Minister of State can pick any one or two of these and tell me the status of the Government's address of the recommendations of the task force. We are seeing neither the actuality of address of the recommendations nor any stated intent to go forward with any or all of them. To take the potential for North-South co-operation, for example, in which I am keenly interested, the implementation of the task force recommendations should take account of opportunities to develop pro-actively on an all-island approach. What about ethnic and cultural diversity and the challenge of engaging newcomers? What of the proposal to reach by the end of the current decade - next year - a level of at least 60% voter turnout among the 18-24 year old age group? Will we see major improvement in voter turnout on 2 October in the second Lisbon referendum as a result of any action by the Government in following the recommendations of the task force?

My final two points refer to the establishment of the independent electoral commission and a group insurance scheme open to members of local community and voluntary fora. This last was one of the recommendations, as was its wide promotion among relevant organisations and groups. Will the Minister of State give us a progress report on those recommendations of the task force on active citizenship? Will he take the opportunity today to put at ease the significant concern of people within the CDPs, the partnerships and those in the family resource centres about what might very well be facing them in the budget announcement in December?

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