Scheme to help disadvantaged urban areas fails to deliver, says Fine Gael

OVER E160 million has been spent on helping 45 of the most disadvantaged urban communities throughout the country fight social exclusion.

But the Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development (RAPID) programme has been strongly criticised by the opposition for failing to deliver.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern promised that 2 billion of National Development Plan funds would be channelled to RAPID areas by 2004 when he launched the scheme almost three years ago.