Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the introduction of the revitalising areas by planning, investment and development, RAPID, programme to Rathkeale County Limerick. [3286/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that, on 28 May 2009, the decision of Government to include Ballina, Co. Mayo, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, and Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, in the RAPID Programme was announced. Including the 5 new areas, there is now a total of 51 designated RAPID areas in the country.

Each RAPID area has an Area Implementation Team (AIT), which draws up a plan based on the particular needs of the area so that available funding can be targeted at where it will do the most good in the community. The Rathkeale AIT includes representatives of the Department Social Protection, Limerick County Council, An Garda Síochána, Limerick Youth Service, HSE, VEC and West Limerick Resources. I understand that the community forum structure has been agreed, task groups have been formed and there is agreement on the role of agencies and on chairing of task groups. A RAPID Co-ordinator is in place since January 2010. This post has been funded by Limerick County Council.

The inaugural meeting of the Rathkeale RAPID AIT took place on 15 April 2010. From the amount of €250,000 allocated by my Department as "catch-up" funding for new RAPID areas, the RAPID AIT in Rathkeale identified and prioritised 8 projects, which were submitted to Pobal for assessment by 28 October 2010. These projects are currently being considered by my Department.