Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

A key part of the national drugs strategy is precisely what Deputy Wall mentioned, namely, creating alternatives. This is being done, primarily through the young people's facilities and services fund which is an engagement with existing organisations. I do not want to provide another layer of development. I am anxious that we work with existing organisations, local authorities, national sporting organisations and youth services. I see productive work where this has happened.

As I mentioned, last week in Waterford I saw excellent work done through a collaboration between youth services, the local authority and national and local sporting organisations. In Dublin, boxing is important. The Neilstown boxing club, for example, has benefited greatly from collaborating with my Department and the local drugs task force on developing alternatives. I meet the organisations mentioned by the Deputy in the context of their membership of local and regional drugs task forces.

Approximately 30 sports and recreation officers have been appointed to drugs task force areas under the young people services and facilities fund and others have been appointed in RAPID areas. Their task is to engage young people in non-mainstream sports. Particular attention has been given to minority sports and young women, who are not great participants in some sports, have been targeted in certain areas. I believe in the value of engaging with existing organisations and we will embark on the roll-out of the young people's facilities and services fund for a range of projects in other parts of the country. On Friday, I will be in Carlow to open a new youth centre which was developed on a collaborative basis by my Department, the young people's facilities and services fund and the local partnership and RAPID programmes.

See this speech in context