Government ‘breaks €2bn vow for deprived areas’

THE Government has been criticised for failing to deliver a promised €2 billion worth of investment to some of the country’s most deprived areas.

That was the figure mooted when the Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development (RAPID) programme was launched in 2001.

RAPID targeted for priority funding the 25 urban centres and 20 provincial towns with the greatest concentration of disadvantage.

Yet, four years on, just over €300 million has been spent on the programme. “The underspend here should come as no surprise in light of overall shameful government underspending on the community sector,” said Fine Gael TD Damien English yesterday.

He was reacting to remarks made by Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuiv at a RAPID-related event in Dublin yesterday. Mr Ó Cuiv said he intended to propose that the RAPID programme be continued after the National Development Plan ends in 2006.

“I believe that RAPID should be continued into the next NDP, and the one after that, and the one after that,” said the minister, whose department has responsibility for the programme. RAPID had got off to a shaky start, he said, but the Government’s commitment was ongoing.

“It is estimated that over €300m has been spent in the RAPID areas in social provision under the NDP.”

But Mr English said it was worrying that there seemed to be no firm commitment to RAPID.