Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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622. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total allocation made under the RAPID programme each year since 2005; the amount of each yearly allocation that has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27655/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The RAPID programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within designated RAPID areas nationally.

My Department administers 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 are co-funded by the relevant agencies and support projects that focus on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, community closed-circuit television, health and sports facilities and the provision of playgroups.

I have provided funding for 2013 of €2 million for RAPID, which will be used to meet the Department’s existing contractual commitments on RAPID projects throughout the country, mainly Sports Capital top-ups and CCTV systems, jointly funded with the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport and Justice and Equality respectively. Details of payments for the RAPID leverage schemes under the remit of my Department are detailed in the following table; it is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with regard to projects under their responsibility in the different RAPID areas.

*This allocation includes an amount of €1.62 million which my Department provided to Local Authorities towards the salary costs of RAPID co-ordinators in 2012.