Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grants available to sports clubs in RAPID areas to provide and improve facilities for recreational activities for young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33499/08]

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. It is a matter for individual lead Departments to report on their investments in RAPID areas.

Deputies will be aware that, in 2004, I introduced the RAPID Leverage Fund to provide financial support for small-scale projects in RAPID areas, which are endorsed by the RAPID Area Implementation Teams. Under this scheme, my Department provides an additional grant of up to 30% of the funds allocated under the Sports Capital Programme operated by my Colleague, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism for projects in or serving RAPID areas. Indeed from 2008 the overall level of funding has been increased to 90% of the project cost. Under this arrangement, top-up funding of €1,960,426 has been allocated to projects in or serving RAPID areas under the Sports Capital Programme 2008. Funding of €13m has been allocated since 2004.

Following the enactment of the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005, funding is ring-fenced annually to support priority projects in RAPID areas. Since 2007, 15% of the annual €7.5million available under the RAPID Additionality Measure is allocated to sports and youth related activities.

A further €0.2 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. Details of beneficiaries to date are available on my Department's website www.pobail.ie.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund also operates in some RAPID areas and to date, over €66m has been allocated in capital funding to support the development of a range of youth, community and sports facilities in the areas in which it operates.