Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason funding in 2007 to the RAPID programme will not keep pace with inflation growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42872/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within the 45 designated RAPID areas. In addition, RAPID priority status was recently extended to Ballyfermot. My Department, with the support of Pobal, has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the RAPID programme.

As I have indicated to the House on a number of occasions, it is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with respect to projects under their responsibility in the RAPID areas. The provision in my Department under Subhead O of the Vote funds administrative costs in RAPID Area Implementation Teams and Pobal and the RAPID Leverage schemes. I initiated these schemes in 2004 in order to support small-scale projects identified by the Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas. These schemes, which are co-funded by the relevant agencies, fund projects that are chosen locally and focus on estate enhancement, graffiti clean-up, traffic calming measures, CCTV, health facilities, top-up grants to sports facilities and the provision of playgrounds. I am satisfied that the capital allocation of €7.8 million in 2007 is sufficient to meet the funding commitments I have approved for these schemes.

The allocation should be seen in the context of an increase of 8% or €17.3 million under the Community Affairs heading of my Department's Vote.