The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, has denied a programme to revitalise deprived urban areas has been abandoned.
He also denied describing the the RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) programme as a "shambles". The scheme was initiated by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, two years ago.
In the Dáil earlier this week, the Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, pressed the Taoiseach on the programme and claimed Mr Ó Cuív had said at a recent meeting in Tallaght that it had "collapsed".
The programme was initiated by the Taoiseach in February 2001, when it was announced that some €2 billion would be pledged for deprived urban areas in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dundalk, Co Louth, New Ross, Co Wexford, Athy, Co Kildare, and Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary. Some 25 areas were named initially, and another 20 were added in 2002 before the general election.
Responding to Mr Rabbitte's questions in the Dáil this week, Mr Ahern said it was not possible to deal with all the plans submitted in the short term but welcomed development in areas like Fatima Mansions, Cherry Orchard and Ballymun.
Mr Rabbitte accused the Taoiseach of not being able to remember the RAPID programme "on which his candidates in the 45 deprived areas canvassed, and which he sold coming up to the general election as the most major transformation and transfer of resources in the history of the State". The Taoiseach was now presenting it as "if it was the fourth secret of Fatima", Mr Rabbitte said.
Mr Ó Cuív confirmed he attended a recent public meeting on the issue in Tallaght but denied he had said the programme had collapsed. He was carrying out a "rolling review" to ensure it was more suited to the needs of the deprived areas.
"What I said in Tallaght was that I wasn't sure that RAPID was doing what people wanted it to do, and the feedback I got at that meeting was very very useful in that regard." Progress in implementing plans had been slower than anticipated, but the Government was fully committed to it.
