Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps he is taking to encourage and promote enterprise and community activity in rural communities; if he has assessed the benefits of such efforts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18972/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which he plans to develop and extend the schemes operated by his Department aimed at addressing the issue of urban or rural renewal with particular reference to the need to combat the situation arising from the current economic climate; the degree to which he further plans to increase expenditure in specific areas or headings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18920/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 78 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department was established to promote and support the sustainable and inclusive development of communities - both urban and rural - and it has responsibility for a wide range of programmes and schemes targeting community, local and rural development. The key principle underlying my Department's activities is the provision of support to enable communities to identify and address problems in their own areas. The purpose is to provide support to communities in the most appropriate way as they work to shape their own futures, address their own common goals and achieve their full potential.

In terms of encouraging and promoting enterprise and community activity, the Deputy will be aware from replies to previous Questions from him of a number of key programmes that my Department manages. These include:

- The Rural Development Programme 2007-13, which will channel some €425m in funding for the purpose of improving the quality of life in rural areas and promoting the diversification of the rural economy.

- The Rural Social Scheme, which provides resources to maintain and improve local amenities and facilities in rural communities, while communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fisherpersons. Currently, there is a provision for 2,600 participants on the Scheme and funding of the order of €46.4m is included for it in my Department's Vote this year.

- The CLÁR Programme, which provides co-funding to help accelerate investment in selected priority developments in areas that have suffered significant depopulation. Funding of €8m is being provided for the Programme in 2010.

- The Community Services Programme, which provides employment opportunities for people from disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities, long-term unemployed, Travellers, lone parents and rehabilitated drug misusers. Some 2,700 people are employed in the 445 projects currently approved for funding. The Programme has a budget of €46m this year.

- The Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP), which specifically supports individuals into employment and self-employment through education, training, work experience, job placement, enterprise and the social economy in urban and rural areas. Funding of €67.5m has been made available in 2010 for the LDCP.

- The RAPID Programme, which, through its focus on deprivation and social exclusion, seeks to address the impact of the economic downturn on vulnerable communities and to provide opportunities for social and economic recovery.

Other significant programme areas include the work of Údarás na Gaeltachta; actions under the National Countryside Recreation Strategy; the rural development sub-theme of INTERREG IVA, the cross-border programme for territorial co-operation covering Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland; and the range of measures that support community activity.

With regard to the development/extension of schemes operated by my Department, the Government decided in the 2010 Budget, as part of its strategy to manage its way through the current severe economic crisis and to return the country to prosperity, to implement a series of reductions in spending on public services. Therefore, it is not possible to consider any new schemes at present. To the greatest extent possible, savings have been sought through efficiencies rather than through reductions in services and priority continues to be given to the provision of frontline services.

Finally, in terms of evaluating the impact of the different programmes, the Deputy should note that value for money reviews are underway or planned for a number of the above schemes, including the Rural Social Scheme, the Community Services Programme and the CLÁR/RAPID Programmes. The Rural Development Programme is also subject to ongoing evaluation, with a mid-term review scheduled to commence this month for completion by the end of 2010.

Other initiatives undertaken by my Department to ensure optimal benefits for expenditure, to reduce administrative overheads and to improve performance across the range of community programmes include:

· a Value for Money Review of the Local Development and Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP);

· removal of the Regional Support Agencies from the CDP programme;

· a cohesion process to amalgamate Partnerships and LEADER companies; and

· a review of CDP clusters.

Further to this work, the LDSIP and the Community Development Programme have been re-aligned and integrated as the new Local Development Community Programme, which came into operation on 1 January 2010.