Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Deputy's comments. That is why I am reviewing the scheme. As the Deputy has been fair, I will be fair in response. The scheme had not been open since 2008. When we set up the new Department last year, I was anxious to receive funding. A criticism made by local authorities and LCDCs was that I had allocated the funding too late. What I am hoping to do with the new scheme is to identify the areas of most need. Last year approximately €64,000 of the national total of €2 million was given to each local authority. Some €3.5 million has been ring-fenced for Dublin's inner city. The Deputy and I both know that other areas in Dublin also face problems. They need to be identified, targeted and supported. I hope to be able to do so and have the programme announced by the end of May. That is the reason for the review. I do not want to see funding going to areas that do not need it; it should be targeted. I happened to be in inner city Dublin recently and was pleased to see the way in which the funding was targeted, for example, playschools for mothers and toddlers, as well as other schemes. I was proud of how it was all working. We were targeting the areas that needed funding the most.

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