Written answers

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

RAPID Programme

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Photo of Séamus KirkSéamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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808. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the total Exchequer funding allocated to the revitalising areas by planning, investment and development programme in the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23912/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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 in areas covered by the programme. Over the past number of years, my Department has continued to meet its existing contractual commitments on RAPID projects throughout the country. There is now just one remaining measure under the RAPID programme, which accounts for unpaid commitments, namely the sports capital top-ups. In 2015, I allocated funding of €500,000 for sports capital projects under the programme and these are being jointly funded with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Drawdown to date has been €52,000 with further drawdowns anticipated over the remainder of the year.

The RAPID programme has made substantial progress in identifying the needs of disadvantaged communities and in bringing forward important local projects in response to those needs.

The following table shows the funding allocated to RAPID since 2010 by my Department.

Year
DECLG RAPID Exchequer Funding €000s
2010
€6,067
2011
€2,269
2012
€3,077
2013
€261
2014
€170
2015 allocation
€500
While not Exchequer funding, my Department has also provided funding to RAPID areas from Dormant Accounts. Disbursements on dormant accounts measures are paid in the first instance “up front” from the Department’s Vote in the same way as with any other spending programme. Therefore, Government Departments have to source funding for dormant accounts programmes from their Exchequer allocation. The difference with dormant accounts expenditure compared with other funding programmes is that once expenditure takes place, either on administration of the measure, or by the project itself, it is reimbursed to the Exchequer from the Dormant Accounts Fund in accordance with the Dormant Accounts Acts, in the form of Appropriations-in-Aid payable through the relevant Department’s Vote.  In this way, the costs associated with dormant accounts measures are Exchequer neutral, though it should be noted that Government Departments cannot spend Appropriations-in-Aid directly themselves once they are reimbursed from the Fund.  There are instead refunded to the central Exchequer.

The following table shows the detail of Dormant Accounts funding provided for projects in RAPID areas since 2010 through the Vote of my Department.

Year
DECLG RAPID Dormant Accounts Funding €000s
2010
€4,820
2011
€1,125
2012
€721
2013
€141
2014
€57
2015 to 31 May
€5

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