Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is satisfied with the amount spent on the RAPID scheme to date; his views on whether this programme will end on completion of the national development plan in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11081/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to a previous reply to Question No. 11 of 29 June 2005.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department, supported by Pobal, formerly known as Area Development Management, ADM, Limited, co-ordinates the implementation of the RAPID programme. It is, therefore, a matter for each Department to report on progress on the implementation of RAPID and details of funding allocations to the projects that fall within their remit.

However, Departments were asked in 2005 to track funding against specific projects submitted in RAPID plans from each area. I am informed by Pobal that Departments have, to date, reported spend of the order of €337 million in RAPID areas since the inception of the programme. It should be noted that this amount relates solely to specific projects in RAPID plans and does not include funding to RAPID areas by Departments, which are in addition to the RAPID plans.

As I stated previously, I believe that despite a slow start, the RAPID programme is now making a valuable contribution in disadvantaged communities. However, as the Deputy will appreciate, tackling disadvantage will require long-term commitment by Government and in this regard, I believe that the RAPID programme should continue beyond 2006.

The programme is now progressing on a number of levels in tandem and clearly the benefits at local level are becoming evident. In the first instance, many small-scale proposals from RAPID plans are now being dealt with more effectively at local level. A dedicated fund of €8.8 million has been put in place in 2006 to support small-scale capital projects through co-funding with other Departments or local agencies as appropriate. I announced a number of co-funded schemes this year.

As for the larger projects from RAPID plans that have already been submitted to Departments, these will continue to be considered for funding within existing funding streams in each Department. However, I expect that Departments will now be dealing with a smaller number of projects and will therefore be in a better position to prioritise projects and set out timescales for further actions. Work on improving integration and co-ordination of service delivery at local level will also continue as this is a key component of the RAPID programme.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Special provision was made by the Government for RAPID areas under the dormant accounts plan. RAPID-drugs task force-CLÁR areas have benefited from 60.8% of the €63.1 million in funding allocated to date. The next round of the dormant accounts disbursement will provide approximately €11.5 million specifically to support priority projects in RAPID areas. Discussions are ongoing with Departments regarding prioritisation of other non-capital actions included in the AIT plans.

As the Deputy will be aware, the RAPID programme is running in conjunction with the National Development Plan 2000-2006. While no formal decisions have been taken on the lifetime of the RAPID programme, the indications are that it will continue post 2006.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the reply. I am conscious that we discussed this a few months ago but I am still trying to comprehend the RAPID programme, the commitments made under it and exactly how one will measure the achievements arising from it. While it is probably the right way to proceed, what can the Department do to measure the benefits of the programme and how good RAPID is? The Minister said it should continue after 2006. I agree, but I want to see exactly how this can be measured and the results coming from it.

That last time we spoke the review was to be undertaken by each Department and they have since come back stating they spent €337 million, according to the Minister. Did the Department give a measurement tool or what results were obtained from that process? Was the Department satisfied with the money spent or where can we improve on it?

What performance indicators is the Government setting down for the future? Some €377 million is a long way short of the €2 billion that was announced. We argued previously over who announced it, but it has been announced and we have proof of it.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It was never announced.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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It might have been the Taoiseach, not the Minister, who announced it. From where exactly will the rest of this money come? Is the €2 billion figure to be reviewed or what is the target of spend under the RAPID programme? If it is not €2 billion, is it €1 billion or €800 million? What exactly is the figure and what does the Minister hope to achieve from it?

The RAPID programme was supposed to tackle social disadvantage etc. Unfortunately social disadvantage has worsened in the recent past. In that case, how can the Minister say the RAPID programme is working?

Some 60% of students leave school before completing the leaving certificate examination in many disadvantaged areas. That is evidence. The proof has been recorded. More than 1,000 children do not make it into secondary school from primary school and nobody can account for where they are or why they have left. More than 120,000 children still live in consistent poverty. Some 50,000 households are on local authority housing waiting lists. The UN report states that more than 600,000 or 15% of people in Ireland live below the poverty line or are at risk of poverty. With all this evidence, are we making progress? How does the Minister propose to prove in future that we are making progress, which is my biggest concern, and that we are getting value for money?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Perhaps the Deputy could do me a favour because I genuinely cannot find a reference to a sum in any of the statements made about RAPID at the beginning. On this famous statement, to which people keep referring, of somebody referring in some way to €2 billion, my suspicion — I cannot find the reference anywhere and I went looking — is that it said X amount of money was available for social inclusion measures in the national development plan, and that relates to the original RAPID programme and how we have changed it.

RAPID began as a re-prioritisation of existing spend on social inclusion measures under the national development plan so that it would be front-loaded in disadvantaged areas. Previously, under NDPs those who were best able to make the applications got the money and, therefore, we tried to make sure the funding under the national development plan would be allocated in RAPID areas. I suspect, in that context, funding for social inclusion was mentioned. However, I have looked up the press releases issued at the time and could not find a reference to this. It is difficult, therefore, to make a comparison with something I cannot find. It was not mentioned in the press releases when RAPID was established.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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What are the spending plans?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy referred to performance indicators. While Pobal has commissioned a review, the most powerful performance indicator is the AITs in the communities. If I am told by the teams the programme is working, I have much more faith in that than all the commentary of the external gurus.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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I accept the Minister's comment on performance indicators but I have also received bad reports on the ground from people involved.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Tralee AIT made a powerful presentation to the national monitoring committee recently. One of the speakers said they were doubters of the process but that it had worked. It is working because many different strands have been added to it and every allocation has had an immediate effect on the ground because communities are given confidence that they can influence issues. These areas have been prioritised under the dormant accounts fund, which gives them specific money to spend. We have pushed hard on the co-ordination. The Deputy referred to many statistics but both of us know it will not be easy to solve this problem. We have laid good foundations on which to build. The four or five communities involved would not want us to scrap these foundations and move in a new direction because that always happened in the past. They want us to build and improve.