Dara Calleary T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs today Thursday December 17^th announced that the Government has approved a special once-off measure to the value of €1.25m over 2010/2011 for the 5 new RAPID areas.

This will include the North Mayo capital Ballina.

“In May of this year, Minister Eamon O’Cúiv announced that the Government had approved the inclusion of 5 new towns in the RAPID Programme including Ballina.

The availability of small area statistics from the most recent census gave the Government the opportunity to look more closely than ever at levels of deprivation around the country to see if there were particular areas that through demographic change in recent years should now be included in the RAPID programme and I am pleased that Ballina has been selected as one such area.” 

“The purpose of the measure will be to address a number of the identified infrastructural issues,” the Minister said. 

“The funding will be drawn down over a two-year period and will be used for stand-alone projects designed to target specific social infrastructural issues.

The types of projects which may receive funding will include playgrounds, works to improve disabled access to community facilities and educational and environmental improvements – all projects of genuine importance and benefit to the Ballina community,” said Minister Calleary.