Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Since the Government came to power it has confirmed the termination of the Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais, CLÁR, programme for high priority, weak rural areas. It has also continued to wind down the RAPID programme, leading to the effective abolition of the programme. The RAPID programme revitalises areas through planning, investment and development. The programmes were developed to assist deprived urban and rural communities which the Celtic tiger had bypassed. These communities had heard of but never saw the elusive Celtic tiger. These areas suffered deprivation for many years with a lack of facilities, services and resources. This was reflected in high poverty and unemployment rates, early school leaving and anti-social behaviour issues.

Since the implementation of the programme there have been improvements in these areas of disadvantage such as the provision of community policing units, the development of community centres for the youth, persons with disabilities and the elderly, the provision of outdoor facilities, training programmes and child care facilities. As a consequence there have been significant benefits to the quality of life in local communities and decreased anti-social behaviour. The Government is throwing all of this away at a time when unemployment in these areas is at unprecedented levels and poverty is increasing. In my constituency the towns of Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary and parts of Clonmel are affected, as are towns and communities throughout the country.

The RAPID programme had expenditure of approximately €10 million in 2009 but this has been reduced to less than €2 million. This is a reduction of more than 80%, which is ten times the reduction of public spending generally. RAPID co-ordinators employed by local authorities have had their funding withdrawn, which has meant they have either lost their jobs or have been redeployed to other duties. Given the huge and disproportionate scale of this cut to services for the poorest people in the country I must ask the Taoiseach whether the Government has a political agenda to attack the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in the country.

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