Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason the RAPID programme has been cut by 24% in his Estimates for 2010; the way this cut will be applied; the areas affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47053/09]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason there has been an 11% cut in funding for the drugs initiative in his Department's Estimates for 2010; the way this cut will be applied; the areas affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47056/09]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason there has been a 15% cut in funding for rural recreation and rural development schemes in his Department's Estimates for 2010; the way this cut will be applied; the areas affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47055/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the budgetary changes brought about within his Department under the various headings for 2010; the extent of the variation compared with 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47149/09]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which decisions announced in budget 2010 will impact on the operation of his Department or agencies for which his Department has overall responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47038/09]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason there has been a 49% cut in funding for economic and social disadvantage in his Estimates for 2010; the way this cut will be applied; the areas affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47054/09]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the Estimates for his Department for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47037/09]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way the 11% cut in funding will affect services on the ground for drug addicts. [47145/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to extend, expand or restrict the grant aiding projects under his aegis for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47716/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40, 42, 47, 59, 60, 65, 69 and 251 together.

As the Minister for Finance stated when introducing the 2010 Budget, over the last year we have been running to stand still in terms of spending on public services. Accordingly, in the 2010 Budget the Government decided, as part of its strategy to manage its way through the current severe economic crisis and to return the country to prosperity, to reduce spending on public services by almost €1 billion in 2010 compared with the pre-Budget estimates. To the greatest extent possible, the savings have been sought through efficiencies rather than through reductions in services. In the case of my own Department, gross funding at €415.426m in 2010 is a reduction of 13% relative to the 2009 allocation of €475.701m. Current funding is reduced by 9%, a decrease of €32.1m, and capital funding is reduced by 21%, a decrease of €28.175m.

In a joint statement with the Minister of State at my Department, Mr John Curran, T.D., on Budget Day, we stressed that our primary concern is to make every effort to ensure that the daily front-line services provided with funding from my Department are protected, especially those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities. Every saving that can be made from cutting down on overheads will be pursued so that the entire range of urban, rural, Gaeltacht and island communities we serve retain, to the greatest extent possible, the services that have been developed in partnership with them over the years. I am arranging to forward directly to the Deputies a copy of our joint statement in this matter.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the full range of schemes funded by him currently under review or amalgamation; the extent to which such schemes are being curtailed, downsized or abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47150/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Against the background of the current economic reality and of the pressure on the public finances, my primary concern is to make every effort to ensure that the daily front-line services provided through my Department are protected, especially those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities. Every saving that can be made from cutting down on overheads and improving efficiency will be pursued. In this context, several schemes are being, or have been reviewed, with a view to achieving such efficiencies. Details of recent relevant amendments to schemes funded by my Department include the following:

Whilst delivery of the scheme of Community Support for Older People (CSOP) is ongoing following a recent review, revised arrangements to improve its operation will be introduced early next year.

The Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and the Community Development Programme (CDP) will come to an end on 31st December 2009 and will be superseded by a new Programme, the Local and Community Development Programme. The aim of the new Programme is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government and its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities.

In relation to the RAPID Programme, a boundary review that was carried out during 2009 has led to the inclusion of five new towns into the Programme. The remainder of this review is currently being considered within my Department.

Gaeltacht policy and schemes were reviewed as a result of the Report of the Linguistic Study on the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht. A draft 20- year Strategy for Irish, which took this study into account, has recently been published and submitted for consideration by the Oireachtas Select Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Any changes to Departmental schemes in the Gaeltacht will be considered in this context.

Due to other commitments to be met from the capital allocation for island development for 2010, no grants are currently being approved under the Enterprise Scheme for non-Gaeltacht Islands. Funding is, however, available from Comhar na nOileáin, the Island LEADER Company for Enterprise development.