Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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80. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline the new RAPID programme announced in budget 2026; and when he expects the programme to be operational by. [55400/25]

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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Will the Minister outline the details of the new RAPID programme announced in budget 2026? Communities have been eager to see renewed investment in their areas and clarity about how the programme will operate is really important. Will he outline the main features of the new scheme and indicate when he expects it to become fully operational?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State and I were delighted to have secured funding of €5 million in budget 2026 for the introduction of a new programme for urban areas in line with the programme for Government commitment. RAPID stands for revitalising areas by planning, investment and development. Established in 2001, it was an area-based approach to disadvantage representing a focused initiative to target the 25 most concentrated areas of disadvantage in the country. The original RAPID programme closed to new applications in 2011, although it should be noted that my Department has continued to honour legacy commitments. These included my Department’s contractual commitments under previous RAPID projects, predominantly under the sports capital scheme.

A number of guiding principles underpinned the old RAPID programme and its activity. These are community participation and local ownership, which were crucial, promotion of strategic planning, co-ordination of provision of State services, building on existing structures, complementing existing initiatives, flexibility, and targeting of additional services, investment and facilities.

RAPID leverage schemes were previously introduced to support small-scale projects identified locally. These schemes were co-funded by other Departments and agencies and funded projects that focused on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, community closed-circuit television, health and sports facilities and the provision of recreational facilities. The schemes were also extended to co-fund the provision of facilities in schools located in RAPID areas.

The Minister of State and I are working with departmental officials on the potential formulation of a new scheme similar to the RAPID scheme. Considerations will include the changed demographic and socioeconomic landscape since the previous programme, potential geographical areas to be considered for targeted support and the levels of funding already available through other schemes in my Department. We have both been engaging with communities around the country in towns and cities in recent months to get an understanding of what communities want from such a programme.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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The Minister outlined quite succinctly that the RAPID programme has been really important over the years in tackling disadvantage and dereliction and breathing life into new towns. The previous scheme made a real difference in places like Athy, where that targeted investment helped communities deal with deprivation and improve local facilities. As the Minister moves forward with the new RAPID programme announced two weeks ago, I urge him to make sure that towns like Athy and Newbridge in Kildare are again included. Both continue to experience high levels of deprivation and could really benefit from focused community-driven support. These towns have great energy and strong local groups doing fantastic work. They just need the right backing from the Government to help them.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I agree regarding the impact it has had. There were 25 designated disadvantaged urban areas, which included areas in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Drogheda and Dundalk. More provincial towns were added. At the end of the programme, the number of designated RAPID areas was 51. We may not be able to reach this figure but we want to get started in 2026. The Minister of State and I have been struck by the passion of communities in these areas. While there are a range of supports for communities in rural areas, we need to focus now on communities in urban areas.

As the Deputy referred to Athy, I want to thank everybody involved. I was in Athy in Friday and we launched the new rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF. As part of that, we saw the fantastic Shackleton Experience, which is funded through our Department's RRDF programme and Kildare County Council. With the recess approaching, I would encourage any Member to visit it. It is an example of how an historic 300-year-old building can be refurbished, repurposed and used as a driver of economic development. This, along with the food campus in Athy, will drive the transformation of that town.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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I am taking this question on behalf of my party colleague Deputy Mark Wall so I might as well use the opportunity to give my constituency a plug in the hope we can secure funding for local projects that make a difference. My hope is that the new RAPID scheme will be a funding model that will also allow smaller grassroots projects for local groups, volunteers and small-scale interventions to take place. They need State funding to keep this going. It is much appreciated.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I agree. The Minister of State and I are very focused on making sure this is effective and community led. The Minister of State works on a daily basis with the teams in SICAP and community development organisations and we want to make sure they have an input into this. We want to keep what was good about the previous RAPID programme and keep the direction, focus and delivery. It may have been diluted over the years, spread too thinly and lost effectiveness. We want to get back to the effective results-driven programme with boots on the ground who live in, participate in and have businesses in an area. People who have a stake in the area should lead this programme. The Minister of State and I are very focused on delivering that kind of programme.