Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to assist rural or urban groups involved in urban regeneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47718/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department implements and funds a range of measures, programmes and schemes supportive of urban communities. This includes the RAPID Programme, which specifically has a regeneration focus for disadvantage areas in both provincial towns and larger urban settings. Details of the programmes and schemes operated by my Department, including guidelines, criteria and recipients of grant support, are available on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie. All applications for funding received by my Department are assessed in line with the eligibility criteria of the relevant schemes.

The RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 51 designated RAPID areas nationally. Funding is provided under this programme specifically for the regeneration of these 51 RAPID areas, including funding for projects that focus on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, community closed-circuit television, health and sports facilities, and the provision of playgrounds and multi-use games areas. I should add that the programme is monitored by a National Monitoring Committee (NMC), which I chair, and an important element of each NMC meeting is the input received from the individuals and groups on the ground via the Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas.

In addition, my Department provides funding under a number of other measures to develop and deliver a range of community responses to the needs of individual communities, some of which may be of a regenerative nature.