4 April 2006
HANSON INVESTS £33 MILLION FOLLOWING TASKFORCE REPORT
Minister of State David Hanson has urged leaders in Protestant communities to work with Government to tackle deprivation.
He was speaking as he launched a cross departmental Action Plan "Renewing Communities" responding to the Task Force report published today on the needs of protestant communities. The package includes measures valued at £33million.
These include strategies to tackle areas of major dereliction such as the Lower Shankill, Inner East Belfast, Shore Road and Lower Oldpark and a new 'Fast Track' initiative to encourage young people to stay on in education and training after the age of 16. A £3million Areas of Risk programme initially focusing on 10 pilot areas will also be launched.
In addition to the "Renewing Communities" package, Mr Hanson announced that the Department of Employment and Learning will build a new £13.5 million Workforce and Economic Development Centre in the Springvale area of West Belfast. It will provide an outreach programme across Belfast to ensure training opportunities are widely known and widely accessed by all.
The Action Plan will be complimented by the £100 million Children and Young People's Fund and £35 million Skills and Science Fund announced recently by the Secretary of State which will give priority status to disadvantaged communities.
Mr Hanson explained that the Action Plan placed priority on improving educational attainment. "I have agreed with Angela Smith that we establish targets to ensure that no child leaves school without basic literary and numeracy skills."
David Hanson said: "The Government believes in a fair and inclusive society where people living in Northern Ireland's most disadvantaged communities can access the right support, realise opportunities to achieve their best potential and make the best possible contribution to society. However it has become clear that many Government interventions to tackle disadvantage do not always have the same impact in many Protestant communities."
The Minister said that if these shortcomings were not addressed these communities could deteriorate further, exacerbating poverty and disadvantage. He warned that this could have adverse consequence for the future in terms of political stability and establishing good relations.
David Hanson said: "Failure to tackle disadvantage is not simply a question of additional resources. It is clear that efforts to tackle disadvantage need to become more focused, developing strategies that are relevant to the particular needs of communities and considering carefully whether current spending is being used to maximum effect.
"It is for these reasons that Government established a Taskforce to look at the impact of public services in Protestant communities. It identified a number of key areas that need to be addressed. Educational disadvantage is a priority area. A lack of social cohesion, active citizenship and civic leadership are also key factors as is the poor impact of public services. An overriding issue is the need to address the transformation of paramilitary organisations to modern society.
"To test these initial findings of the Taskforce I have held more than 50 meetings across Northern Ireland with representatives of these communities. These meetings have confirmed the key findings of the Taskforce. As a result I am today launching an Action Plan to respond to the findings of the Report."
The Action Plan entitled 'Renewing Communities' identifies five key challenges:
- Improving life prospects
- Building communities and social cohesion
- Growing civic and community leadership and active citizenship
- Improving public service delivery and outcomes
- Freeing communities from paramilitary and criminal influence
The Minister confirmed that the work of the Action Plan would be taken forward by the recently appointed Delivery Team. He said: "This work is a key priority for Government. Responsibility for implementing the Action Plan will be taken forward by senior officials from all key Government Departments led by Nigel Hamilton, Head of the Civil Service.
"The Action Plan deals with the response to the Taskforce Report. But Government will continue to tackle disadvantage across Northern Ireland wherever it appears. The centre of our efforts for this will be the Neighbourhood Renewal strategy through which we will endeavour to improve the life chances for all people living in our most disadvantaged communities. The distribution of resources will be carefully monitored to ensure there is a fair allocation across all communities."
The Minister also addressed the issue of the remaining influence of paramilitaries in loyalist communities. He said: "Government will continue to bear down on all those who want to continue in paramilitary and criminal activity to the detriment of their local communities. At the same time we will be helping those who want to move away from violence to find a more respectable role in society. Our efforts to end the influence of paramilitary organisations taken together with the other actions identified in this plan can make a real difference but only if others work with us.
"If we are to grow a new leadership it will require others - leaders in the churches, politicians, the community and voluntary sector and the business community to work with us. You must return to these communities, you must get involved again; you must support those people who want to move away from paramilitarism and you must use your experience, skills and resources to work with us to help communities rebuild hope, revive confidence and restore pride."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The Taskforce addressing the needs of Protestant working class communities was established in April 2004 by the previous Minister with responsibility for Social Development, John Spellar MP and is made up of senior civil servants from Government Departments under the chairmanship of DSD Permanent Secretary, Alan Shannon.
- The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy is aimed at the top 10% of communities suffering the highest levels of multiple deprivation as measured by the Noble Index. Currently 32 areas across Northern |reland have been targeted for support through this long term strategy.
- Last week the Minister announced that, following a review of the Noble Index, several new areas across Northern Ireland will get help from the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy including parts of Suffolk, Andersonstown, Mount Vernon, Bawnmore, Coalisland and Enniskillen. This will mean help for an additional 44,000 people.
- The 10 pilot Areas at Risk are parts of Ligoniel and Sydenham (not previously covered by Neighbourhood Renewal) and Taughmonagh in Belfast, Ballynoshollag and Enogh in Limavady (Greystone Road, Enogh Park, Scraggy Close) Londonderry, Dunclug in Ballymena, West Portadown, Rathenraw Estate, Antrim, Dhu Varren/Glenmanus in Portrush and Seacourt in Larne.
- For further information please contact the Information Office on 028 9082 9078.
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