43 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress made with regard to the four pilot projects on social disadvantage. [24535/99]

One of the Government's key priorities is to ensure a more focused and better co-ordinated response by the statutory authorities in addressing the needs of severely disadvantaged urban communities.

To that end, the interdepartmental committee on local development, which I chair, has been given a mandate to oversee a pilot integrated services process, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of life in our most deprived urban areas, as a basis for a model of best practice.

The first phase of that process involved a close examination of the situation on the ground in four pilot areas – Dublin's north east inner city, Dublin 8, Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Garden, St. Michael's House, Dolphin House, Jobstown, Tallaght and Togher, Cork.

Following a decision by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, the implementation phase was launched by the Taoiseach on 4 December last at a special meeting of secretaries general of relevant Departments and chief executive officers of relevant statutory agencies.