Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which the CLÁR and RAPID programmes have been affected in 2009 by budgetary cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33241/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In the current economic environment, the Deputy will be aware that across Government as a whole, we are taking a number of difficult decisions, but our approach is to do this in as balanced a way as possible.

In this context, no area is immune to cost-cutting measures and some level of reduction in budget allocations have been made to certain measures and programmes, including the CLÁR Programme.

Notwithstanding this — and while some of the measures under the CLÁR Programme are not currently open for new applications — a high number of projects continue to be implemented throughout the country. Overall, in 2009, I anticipate a significant level of investment under the Programme — of the order of approx €16m. This will allow it to continue to meet its objective of providing funding and co-funding to Government Departments, State agencies and local authorities to accelerate investment in selected priority developments in areas that have suffered significant depopulation.

With regard to the RAPID Programme, as the Deputy is aware, it aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 51 designated RAPID areas nationally. 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.

In 2004, I introduced the RAPID Leverage Schemes and under these, my Department tops-up the funds of other Departments and agencies to provide small-scale local projects such as playgrounds, traffic measures, improved health facilities, CCTV and top-up funds for projects promoted by sporting organisations under the Sports Capital Programme. Capital funding of €7.8m was provided to fund the Leverage Schemes in 2008 and I anticipate a spend of a broadly comparable level this year.

As the Deputy is aware, in May 2009 the Government approved the inclusion of five new towns in the RAPID programme: Ballina, Co. Mayo; Dungarvan, Co. Waterford; Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford; Mullingar, Co. Westmeath and Rathkeale, Co. Limerick.

Overall, while funding for some programmes operated by my Department has been reduced, I still expect that a sufficient spend will be made this year in order to continue to support communities throughout the country.