Labour proposes more support for communities left behind
Issued : Tuesday 15 May, 2007
Statement by Roisin Shortall TD
Minister of State, Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care
They say a rising tide lifts all boats but there are many communities around the country that have simply been left behind. These areas have been plagued by years of neglect, long-term unemployment and poorly skilled workforce, so making it difficult for them to take advantage of the new opportunities afforded by a growing economy.
The fact of the matter is that many communities which were regarded as deprived in the early nineties are STILL among the most disadvantaged.
Labour in Government will change this.
- We will require all relevant government departments and agencies to clearly earmark and ring-fence 5 per cent or more of their NDP capital funds for Fair Deal communities.
- We will use existing structures to replace the RAPID programmes with a Fair Deal for Communities initiative.
- We will draw on small/local area census data to compile accurate deprivation indexes to provide help and support Fair Deal communities.
- We will secure a transparent, multi-annual funding formula for the Fair Deal initiatives.
Communities need support from government funding agencies, but they also need encouragement so that leadership skills can be developed among community and voluntary groups at local level.
Labour will address this by establishing a formal mechanism through which government and voluntary organisations can cooperate to develop more effective social policy and services. We will also give voluntary and community organisations in local communities, access to drug money seized by the CAB.
As a society, we must ensure that, working together, we spread the opportunities of modern Ireland to all our people, in all our communities.
