Minister Donohoe launches Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) 2020 Progress Report

22nd December, 2020

4th Progress Report shows continued improvements and commitment of all involved

The Minister for Finance and local Dublin Central TD, Paschal Donohoe, today (Tuesday), along with the Chair of the NEIC Programme Implementation Board, Michael Stone, launched the fourth Dublin North East Inner City Progress Report at The Lab Gallery on Foley St.

 

Minister Donohoe and Michael Stone were joined by a “virtual” audience comprised of elected representatives (both local and national); NEIC residents; community representatives; business representatives; local service providers; statutory organisations and other supporters of the Initiative.

 

Minister Donohoe said that the Report, and the work of the NEIC Initiative, is a clear indication of the dedication and commitment of all involved to creating a brighter future for NEIC local communities. The success of the Initiative is also testament to the fact that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to “expand the Dublin NEIC model to other comparative areas experiencing disadvantage”.

 

Launching the Report, Minister Donohoe said: ‘This Report, and the work undertaken by Michael, the Board and the wider community, is evidence of the ambition that drives the efforts to improve Dublin’s North East Inner City and to ensure that all strands come together to eradicate the negative elements and ensure that the positivity that exists in abundance in this area thrives’.

 

“Now in its fourth year, the work of the Implementation Board is going from strength to strength, with real results being seen in the area. There is a determination, led by Michael Stone and supported by Government, to get the right structures in place so that those living in this area are given a fair chance to have their community seen in the best light possible. From greening initiatives, to policing, to educational supports, the measures are having a real impact on those who live here. We will continue to work, with renewed energy each year, to plug the gaps and to make sure that Dublin’s North East Inner City residents’ pride continues unabated and with good reason’.

 

Having reflected on the work carried out by the Initiative over the past year, Chair of the Implementation Board, Michael Stone stated that he looked forward in 2021 ‘to continued close cooperation with the NEIC community, businesses, Dublin City Council and Government Departments and agencies as we continue to work together to implement the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020-2022 for the benefit of all who live and work in the NEIC’.

 

Michael Stone, said: ‘The €6.5 million funding allocation that we received from Government in 2020 enabled us to continue to implement a wide range of programmes and projects as we worked to achieve the goals of the Mulvey Report – Creating a Brighter Future – and the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020-2022. An overview and details of this work can be found in this Report. With the 2020 funding allocation, the Board prioritised the funding of measures under six distinct work streams, as identified in the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022. This work represents strong collaboration across the statutory, community and business sectors at all levels of the NEIC structures. The Programme Implementation Board’s ambition for 2021 is to continue implementing the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022 and the remaining actions set out in the Mulvey Report, focusing on long-term sustainable outcomes, which operate in an integrated framework and add value to the existing service infrastructure’.  

 

Some areas where important progress has been made include:

o The NEIC Work Experience Programme, which is so critical to Transition Year and Fifth Year students in secondary schools in the NEIC.  Even in the year of a global pandemic, a highly successful Flash Mentoring Programme was developed for students so that they could move a step closer to realising their ambitions;
o The City Connects Programme, which aims to build a network of support for primary school students in the NEIC, their families, and the schools that serve them, improving outcomes now and for years to come; and
o The drug and alcohol addiction response team; the homeless case management team; and the residential stabilisation programme which were originally fullyfunded by the NEIC Initiative have secured mainstream funding from the Department of Health for 2021.

 

Areas which are cited in the Report for further progress for 2021 include:

o City Connects as it develops further;
o PTECH as it becomes more embedded in the participating schools;
o Community Case Management;
o The Local Community Safety Partnership pilot;
o The reopening of Fitzgibbon St Garda Station; and
o Further progress being made on the development of Rutland St School;

 

The launch was followed by a visit to the courtyard of the recently redeveloped St. Mary’s Mansions on SeánMacDermott St Lower which was completed this year and delivered 80 high quality homes for 180 NEIC residents (including 90 children).

 

Note for Editors:

 

In July 2016, the Government launched a major initiative for Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to oversee the long-term social and economic regeneration of the area.  Following publication of the Mulvey Report, Creating a Brighter Future, the NEIC Programme Implementation Board (PIB) was established in June 2017. Led by an independent Chair, Michael Stone, the NEIC PIB comprises community and business stakeholder representation, and Government departments and agencies with statutory responsibility for delivery of key services. In December 2019, the Government approved the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022, the implementation of which is the focus of the work of the NEIC Programme Implementation Board going forward.

 

The NEIC Strategic Plan prioritises actions across six work-streams:

 

1. Enhanced Policing;
2. Maximising Educational, Training and Employment Opportunities;
3. Family Wellbeing;
4. Enhancing Community Wellbeing and the Physical Environment;
5. Substance Use, Misuse and Inclusion Health; and
6. Alignment of Services.

 

This work represents strong collaboration across the statutory, community and business sectors at all levels of the NEIC structures.  

 

The work of the NEIC Initiative and its Programme Implementation Board is supported by a Programme Office (based on Seán MacDermott St); 6 sub-groups which progress the work under each of the above work-streams; and the NEIC Oversight Group (chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach).

 

The NEIC Initiative produces annual Progress Reports on its work which are available on www.neic.ie.

 

ENDS