RAPID - Partnership at work

8 Feb 2001

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed has welcomed today's launch by the Taoiseach of RAPID - Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investing and Development. "Targeted investment in the communities ravaged by years of mass unemployment was a priority demand of the INOU entering the negotiations of the PPF. We welcome today's announcement, which should mark a new beginning for many disadvantaged communities. It also marks the first major social-inclusion measure to come out of the PPF." said Tony Monks, General Secretary of the INOU.

Despite a national unemployment rate of 4.3%, the communities throughout Ireland that bore the worst of the jobs famine still experience disproportionate levels of unemployment and poverty. The RAPID Programme will involve a 'front loading' of National Development Plan investment into 25 disadvantaged communities throughout the country.

The INOU highlighted provision for the active involvement of local communities as a vital to ensuring the success of this initiative. " The INOU has long argued that a bottom-up approach is the only way to address specific community needs. Today's announcement by the Taoiseach is an endorsement of that view. Community interests, local development agencies and state agencies have been given a clear signal that by working together from a grassroots basis they can effect real change."

The inclusion of targeted investment in the PPF was a key win for the Community and Voluntary Pillar. Commenting on the progress of that commitment, Mr. Monks said "Our priority has been to ensure that local communities would have a central role in deciding how to implement the programme. We have secured that goal. It remains to be worked out how a RAPID programme can be delivered to disadvantaged rural communities, but we are confident that this can be done in the coming months."

"In the aftermath of Budget 2001, you could easily believe that Social Partnership was simply about economic muscle, not people. Today's announcement brings us a little closer to the true vision of partnership, and how it can deliver equity in Irish society."

ENDS

For further information contact:
Tony Monks, General Secretary
087 249 6066 / 01 856 0088
Noeleen Hartigan, Press Officer
087 61 67689 / 01 856 0088