The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon Ó Cuív will be holding a public meeting in Ballina on Monday November 2 at 8pm in the Ballina Sports and Leisure Centre.
The meeting has been scheduled because Ballina is one of five towns included in the RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development ) programme.
On May 28 of this year Ballina, along with Dungarvan, Enniscorthy, Mullingar, and Rathkeale was included in the RAPID programme following the collation of small area statistics from the most recent census. The statistics allowed the Government to look more closely at levels of deprivation around the country. The Minister initiated the review because he felt that areas not in the programme would have become eligible.
“A core element of the RAPID programme is the engagement of local communities in selecting and supporting local development and solving social issues,” Minister Ó Cuív said. “I am looking forward to meeting each of these new RAPID areas and discussing the programme with the local community.
“This Government is as committed as ever to supporting the most deprived, vulnerable, and socially excluded communities in our country,” he added. “This is a priority. We will continue to tackle social disadvantage in the only way that works in the long-term: Positive action and strong community involvement. We are in this for the long-haul. It is unacceptable to us that children growing up in some areas of the country cannot expect the same level of educational attainment or job opportunities as their peers in other areas. We will continue to work towards equality of opportunity for all our children.”
