Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the RAPID Programme is still operational; the actions carried out under it in 2011 and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36194/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money expended under the RAPID Programme in 2011 and the allocation for 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36195/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the last meeting was held of the National Rapid Coordinating Committee; if he attended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36196/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 to 493, inclusive, together.

The RAPID Programme, which is still operational, aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within designated RAPID areas nationally. Pobal manage the RAPID programme on behalf of my Department. My Department co-funds the RAPID Leverage Schemes, which are designed to support small scale projects identified locally by Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas. These schemes support projects that focus on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, community closed-circuit television, health and sports facilities and the provision of playgroups. The following table lists the co-funding provided to RAPID areas (including small grants paid to the Area Implementation Teams to support small-scale actions) by this Department in 2011 and to date in 2012.

Due to the current fiscal situation, my Department has focused on reducing outstanding funding commitments under the Leverage Schemes by closing the schemes to all new funding applications and paying down existing commitments only. My Department is providing funding of €4.15m this year to support the RAPID Programme. This includes funding towards the salary costs of RAPID Coordinators, who are Local Authority staff. In addition, I have allocated €440,000 (€88,000 per town) this year in Dormant Accounts funding for five provincial towns, which were assigned RAPID status in 2009; these are Ballina, Dungarvan, Enniscorthy, Mullingar and Rathkeale. In December 2010, Pobal, in consultation with the RAPID Area Implementation Teams (AITs), recommended a number of capital projects in these towns. Pobal recently contacted the relevant AITs, who, using their local knowledge and expertise, have chosen the most important and effective projects which can be delivered this year from the lists they have in place. The prioritised list has been approved by Government and the beneficiaries will be advised shortly. Pobal is collating the necessary pre-contract/financial information so that these projects can go to payment as soon as possible. The last meeting of the National Rapid Coordinating Committee was held on 26 October 2010.