Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The RAPID programme covers urban areas designated as disadvantaged by reference to a range of socio-economic criteria including the level of early school leaving, the proportion of one-parent households, the unemployment rate, the proportion of social housing and the age dependency ratio. The RAPID programme aims to ensure priority attention is given to tackling the concentration of poverty and social exclusion in these areas nationally. The programme has made significant progress in identifying the needs of disadvantaged communities and introducing appropriate local projects to respond to those needs. The primary role of the co-ordinators who are employed by the local authorities where RAPID areas are located is to co-ordinate and support the local area implementation teams. This is mainly done through working with the agencies represented on the area implementation teams in developing a strategic plan that identifies key local needs and priorities for local areas and the roles and responsibilities of local agencies in delivering a response to those needs. These responses are based on developing a more co-ordinated approach to service delivery between agencies, developing service integration initiatives and accessing local and national funding streams. The Department is not in a position to make a contribution to the 2013 salary costs for RAPID co-ordinators. The local government fund continues to provide significant general purpose funding to local authorities to assist in meeting day-to-day operational costs. It is understood from information received by the Department that seven local authorities employ full-time RAPID co-ordinators. In other local authorities with RAPID areas, this role is combined with other responsibilities. It is important that a focus is maintained on all RAPID areas, through the range of local and community development interventions which are available on an area basis. Enhanced alignment between local government and local development is intended to improve the targeting of such local development activity. In that context, there will be an opportunity for a stronger collaborative focus to be put on support for RAPID areas.

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