David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 637: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the efforts his Department is making at local authority level to reduce poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5432/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The promotion of social inclusion is a key policy objective for Government. Local authorities have an important role in achieving this objective at local level, reflecting their democratic mandate, wide ranging service delivery functions and specific responsibilities in areas such as housing and community development. The Local Government Act 2001 identifies social inclusion as a core issue to be addressed in local government activities. Local authorities also participate in delivering the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, and the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion, NAP-inclusion. Local authorities are giving effect to their role and responsibilities in tackling poverty and promoting social inclusion through the implementation of a range of initiatives.

For example, in line with guidelines issued by my predecessor in 2004, local authorities are now required to ensure that social inclusion is properly addressed in their corporate plans and supporting annual operational plans; in 2002, pilot social inclusion units were established in seven local authorities with funding of €4.1 million to date from my Department. I have decided to place these pilot units on a permanent footing from 2006, and to extend the programme to other local authorities; the local government anti-poverty learning network, representative of elected members and officials, was established in 2000 to provide a forum for sharing information and exchanging different local experiences and best practice on anti-poverty measures; local authorities are supporting the RAPID, Revitalising Areas by Planning Investment and Development, programme, which is targeted at the most disadvantaged areas in the country and under which such areas are prioritised for investment to tackle social exclusion. The cost to local authorities of employing the local co-ordinators in RAPID areas is met directly by my Department, at a cost of €2.8 million per annum; county and city development boards, CDBs, led by local government, and comprising social partners, State agencies and local development organisations operating locally, were established in 2000 to bring about the more co-ordinated delivery of public and local development services at local level. The boards have an important role in promoting social inclusion and tackling poverty at a local level.

Each county-city local authority also has a community and enterprise unit, which provides administrative back up to the CDB and supports the local authorities' expanded role in community development and social inclusion; community and voluntary fora, established in each city and county in 2000 with funding of more than €1.3 million per annum from my Department, are also supported by local authorities. The fora are involved in promoting social inclusion and in facilitating community representation on public sector structures; and a sum of €6 million is being provided by my Department in 2006 for a new social capital fund.

This new fund relates to supporting and strengthening local authorities' work in building social capital and is in line with their expanded role in social inclusion and community development. It is intended that the fund will be used for targeted capital works carried out through local authorities, which are designed to enhance communities, address disadvantage and improve social cohesion at a local level.

Local authorities have a pivotal responsibility in providing and supporting the provision of social and affordable housing. Access to housing for low income groups is particularly important in tackling issues of poverty and social exclusion. More than €2 billion will be spent in 2006 on various housing measures.

Local authorities' five-year action plans for social and affordable housing now provide the basis for delivery of housing measures in an integrated and holistic manner, and in a manner which breaks cycles of dependency and disadvantage. The plans cover not only the capital investment in new housing units, but also address regeneration of run down estates, and policies on estate management and maintenance, all of which are key to developing good living environments for social housing tenants. I am satisfied that local authorities are now well placed, co-operating as necessary with other agencies, to meet the needs of the socially disadvantaged at local level.