Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 317: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of persons employed in each county on the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27926/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of persons currently employed in each county on the rural social scheme is as follows:

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of money spent in each of the RAPID areas in 2004 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27927/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to Question No. 219 of 10 November 2004.

My Department, supported by Area Development Management, ADM, Limited, co-ordinates the implementation of the RAPID programme. It is a matter for each of the other Departments to report on progress on their implementation of RAPID and details of funding for the proposals that fall within their remit. As regards my Department, RAPID falls to be considered under the community development programme, funding for local drugs task forces, LDTF, the young people's facilities and services fund, YPFSF, the RAPID leverage fund and administrative supports for RAPID.

On community development projects, there are also more than 110 CDP projects in RAPID areas that have received just over €10.6 million in 2004 and a further €12.1 million in 2005 in funding from my Department. Ten new community development projects in RAPID areas were prioritised since the commencement of the programme. Projects in Bluebell, Drimnagh, Dolphin House, Gurranabrahar, Inchicore, Loughlinstown, Merchants Quay-Ushers Quay, Shanganagh-Rathsallagh, Longford town and Tipperary have each received renewable contracts to the end of 2006 with current funding set at €60,000 per annum each.

On drugs, my Department also has responsibility for the work of the 14 local drugs task forces and ten regional drugs task forces. The local drugs task forces were established in the areas experiencing the worst levels of drug misuse, particularly heroin, and many of them have RAPID areas within them. Over €95 million has been allocated to the task forces to implement their two rounds of local action plans. A further €13.6 million has been allocated to capital projects under the LDTF premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community-based drugs projects.

The total spend from subhead N in 2004, the majority of which was allocated to LDTF areas, was €27.510 million and the allocation available in the current year is €30.5 million. In addition, approximately €85 million has been allocated to support the work of the young people's facilities and services fund in LDTF areas and four other urban centres. The main aim of the fund is to attract "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas into recreational facilities and activities and divert them away from the dangers of substance misuse. RAPID communities located in these areas would, of course, benefit from this funding.

Money is also spent under the local development social inclusion programme, LDSIP, in RAPID areas. As the border of LDSIP partnerships are not co-terminous with those of RAPID areas, it is not possible to quantify the exact spend in RAPID areas.

In 2004, I launched the RAPID leverage fund and €4.5 million was ring-fenced to progress small-scale localised actions in RAPID areas through co-funding with the relevant Department or agency. Details of the 2004 co-funded schemes are as follows: local authority housing estate enhancement scheme 2004 — funding totalling €2 million allocated by my Department and the local authorities; RAPID playgrounds scheme 2004 — funding totalling €3 million allocated by my Department and the Department of Health and Children; top-up funding under the sports capital programme 2004 — my Department allocated top-up funding of €2.2 million to successful projects under the sports capital programme in RAPID areas; and co-fund between my Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform 2004 — funding totalling €351,000 for small-scale projects, IT equipment and minibuses.

In 2005, €7.5 million funding is available to my Department for RAPID leverage and the following schemes for RAPID areas have been launched: local authority housing estate enhancement scheme 2005-2006 — total funding €4.5 million with €100,000 allocated to each RAPID area, co-funded with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government through the local authorities; RAPID health sector co-fund — a total of €4.6 million has been allocated to support small-scale health and community projects, co-funded by the Department of Health and Children through the Health Service Executive; traffic measures co-fund — total funding €2.025 million, a total of €45,000 allocated to each RAPID area, co-funded with the local authorities; playgrounds grants scheme 2005 — total funding €3 million, a total of €66,000 has been allocated to each RAPID area to develop-refurbish playgrounds in RAPID areas, co-funded with the Department of Health and Children through the Health Service Executive; additional funding for RAPID community-based CCTV — the community based CCTV scheme was launched by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with successful applicants from RAPID areas receiving additional funding towards the capital cost of the scheme from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Special provision was also made for RAPID areas under the dormant accounts plan. RAPID, CLÁR and LDTF areas have benefited from just over €38.4 million in funding allocations over 2004 and 2005.

On administrative supports, since the establishment of the RAPID programme, my Department has provided approximately €6.333 million by way of support to the local areas in the preparation and implementation of their plans and administration costs associated with the support team in ADM.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to expand the rural social scheme to take in other categories of rural dwellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27928/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To be eligible to participate in the rural social scheme, a person must be either a farmer or a fisherperson. A dependent spouse of an eligible farmer or fisherperson can take up the available place. There are no proposals to generally extend the scheme to persons outside these sectors.