Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The next question is in the name of Deputy James Browne. Deputy Ó Cuív has permission to introduce it.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the areas of County Wexford that can apply for funding under the RAPID programme; the amount to be allocated in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46114/18]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We will not delay too long on this. The question relates to County Wexford and the areas that can apply for funding under the new community enhancement scheme. The Minister might give me the details of the amount allocated in 2019.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The new community enhancement programme which I launched earlier this year builds on and replaces the original RAPID programme and is different in a number of ways. The funding is allocated by my Department to each local authority area taking account of deprivation levels. Disadvantaged community groups in any location within Wexford, or any other area, can apply to their local community development committee, LCDC, for funding. The LCDC administers the scheme to ensure that funding is provided locally to the groups that need it most.

I originally allocated €4.5 million to the programme in 2018, and subsequently increased the funding, bringing the total amount to €12.5 million.  Of this, County Wexford received a total of €470,891. In addition I made €23,188 available to the 16 men's sheds in Wexford under the men’s shed fund, which is part of the community enhancement programme.

While the funding for 2019 is not yet confirmed, I expect the national allocation to be in the region of the €4.5 million that was initially provided in 2018.  County allocations will be determined in 2019.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Would the Minister agree that the most deprived communities in the country are all urban communities, and tend to be urban communities with a high percentage of social housing?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There are problems in both urban and rural communities. Under the SICAP programme, we put €1.7 million into Wexford and we put in €470,000 under the community enhancement programme. Poverty is both urban and rural and these schemes were set up to target areas of need. It is my job to treat urban and rural areas equally in this regard and ensure that the available funding is delivered to where it is needed. There is not an urban-rural divide in our approach and I have to deal with where the deprivation is.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Minister saying the sociologists got it wrong when they did their detailed analysis of the census figures, which showed the most concentrated deprivation at community level was exclusively in urban communities? It reminds me of a visit I paid to Wexford town, where I said to the RAPID team there that I had never seen the level of disadvantage and deprivation in rural areas that I saw in towns. One lady put up her hand to say that she came from the Aran Islands but that I was dead right. Is the Minister denying the fact that the most concentrated areas of deprivation at community level are in urban areas?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I do not disagree with what the Deputy is saying but funding for the community enhancement programme is allocated to each local authority area according to deprivation and population.

That is why we recently announced funding for the inner city of Dublin. It has different problems from those we have in rural Ireland. I do not deny that there is very serious deprivation and serious problems in urban areas. My Department has the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and has allocated funding to special projects in and around cities because they have very serious problems in respect of crime, drugs and other issues. That is why the Department must examine and monitor the position and ensure we give the funding that is necessary. To give the Deputy an example, his question related to County Wexford where €1.26 million has been provided under the community services programme, CSP. My Department also allocated €5.3 million to Wexford to deal with all the issues the Deputy has raised.