Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if in view of the crisis in communities such as Moyross in Limerick, that the proposed RAPID funding of €4.5 million for the years 2007 to 2008 to support small-scale capital works to enhance the physical environment within local authority housing estates and flat complexes is enough funding for the scale of decay and ruin that is reality in local authority housing estates here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31190/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The maintenance and upkeep of housing estates and flat complexes and the physical environment within those areas is a matter in the first place for my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities.

The monies available under the Rapid Leverage Schemes, to which the Deputy refers, enables local communities to have a direct say in the prioritising of locally promoted capital works that produce real benefits to communities. The matching funding available under these schemes available to Departments with primary responsibilities enables projects designed to improve the environments of local authority housing estates and flat complexes as well as the provision of playgrounds, traffic calming measures, health facilities, CCTV, and sporting facilities in RAPID areas.

The €7.8m available from my Department in 2005 under these schemes generated a further €8m in commitments from other Departments giving an overall commitment to the investment of €15.8m in RAPID areas. This is in addition to mainstream funding for projects and services in such areas. I am hopeful that the funding available from my Department this year and in 2007 and 2008 will secure similar additional prioritised investment.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report on the state of the cohesion process within his Department. [31223/06]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made regarding the streamlining and co-ordinating service delivery in the community and voluntary sector since he came to office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31293/06]

Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 16 May 2006 the further progress made in regard to the ongoing cohesion process in the matter of the integration of Leader and Partnership companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31296/06]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will expand on his recent comments that he will implement a radical shake up of community services by the end of 2006; the plans he has to improve services for disadvantaged people; when he will publish these plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31281/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 35, 51 and 52 together.

Arising from the review of local and community development structures which I initiated three years ago in conjunction with my colleagues, the Ministers for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Government agreed a series of measures in January 2004 designed to improve delivery of services on the ground, arrangements under which community and local development initiatives are delivered and improve cohesion and focus across various measures. Since then, I have overseen a radical change process that is informed by the following guiding principles: improving on the ground services; streamlining structures so as to avoid overlaps, duplication and undue administrative overheads; bringing transparency, co-ordination and improved control to the funding and operation of local and community development measures; and strengthening the democratic accountability of agencies and providers in this area.

As a first step towards improving on the ground services, I mandated City and County Development Boards (CDBS) to oversee the cohesion process at local level and to facilitate the development of proposals by local agencies with a view to achieving better co-ordination of service delivery. To this end, I allocated €3,248,600 to the CDBs and Údaras na Gaeltachta during 2004 in respect of proposals aimed at improving linkages between local agencies, support multi-agency actions and promote sharing of resources to maximise the impact of available funding.

The 2005/2006 phase of the process aims to improve the alignment of the multiple local and community development agencies by the end of this year in a way that removes any overlaps and duplication and maximises available resources for the benefit of local communities. The intention is that, from 2007, there will be one unified local development structure providing full coverage in any given area and fewer structures overall in the country. In the rural context, this means that in future one agency will be responsible for delivering local and rural development programmes, making it far easier for local people to access such services. At present, partnerships do not have full area cover and cannot reach those affected by disadvantage who live outside their catchment areas. This serious impediment will be addressed by the new arrangements. The new streamlined structures will have full area cover thereby enabling the State to deliver programmes such as the local development social inclusion programme on a nationwide basis.

At this stage, 22 of the local authority areas and na Gaeltachtaí have fully agreed the integrated structures which will provide full coverage. A total of €4,836,927 was awarded to CDB's in respect of agreed cohesion initiatives during 2005, including €1,463,400 for volunteering measures. So far this year, I have approved the allocation of €3,295,762 for agreed cohesion measures and €760,600 to promote volunteering locally. Discussions are ongoing in the remaining areas and I am confident that arrangements will have been finalised in all areas by the end of the year.