Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding provided by his Department to groups or associations in RAPID areas to provide recreational or sporting facilities in such areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18832/08]

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 46 designated RAPID areas nationally. I initiated the leverage schemes in 2004 in order to support small-scale projects identified locally by the Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas. These schemes are co-funded by the relevant agencies and fund projects that focus on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, CCTV, health and sports facilities, and the provision of playgrounds. In 2007 I agreed to co-fund the provision of certain facilities in schools located in, or mainly servicing children from, RAPID areas.

Each of the 46 RAPID areas is allocated €66,000 annually under the playgrounds leverage scheme co-funded with the Health Services Executive and the Department of Health and Children. The Sports Capital Top-up Scheme has been operated annually with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism since 2004 under which my Department provides an additional grant of up to 30% of the funds allocated under the Sports Capital Programme, subject to an overall limit of 80% of the project cost.

Disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund are designed to assist three broad categories of persons — those who are socially or economically disadvantaged; those who are educationally disadvantaged; and persons with a disability. Following the enactment of the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005, funding was ring-fenced to support priority projects in RAPID areas.

With respect to 2007, the first year of adoption of this approach, 15% of funds or €1.1 million were ring fenced for sport and youth related activities in RAPID areas. Some €2.0 million of the Dormant Accounts was allocated under the 2006 and 2007 rounds of funding for equipment grants for youth groups with a particular focus on disadvantaged and marginal groups. Additionally, in March of this year, the Government approved up to €1.5 million in seed funding to support interagency initiatives delivering recreation services for children and young people.