Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the areas of the country that can now avail of funding under the new RAPID programme; the reason this funding is not ring-fenced for the most highly deprived areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38604/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I launched the new Community Enhancement Programme in May.  The Programme builds on and replaces the Communities Facilities Scheme and the recast RAPID programme. Its development followed a review of those two schemes, and consultation with the 33 Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country. 

Under the Programme, funding is allocated to each Local Authority area taking account of the relative deprivation level, using the Pobal Hasse deprivation index.  The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) then administers the programme to ensure funding is allocated locally to the areas that need it most, in order to address disadvantage as identified in their Local Economic and Community Plan.  This is a more effective, flexible and locally responsive approach to addressing disadvantage than ring-fencing geographical areas as under previous programmes.

I originally allocated €4.5 million to this programme in 2018, and, based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from communities around the country have recently allocated an additional €8 million to the programme.

A report which provides information on the review completed by Department, and detail on the new programme, is available on my Department’s website on the following link: