Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate Deputies Ellis and Shortall's mention of this important issue. I have read some of the opinions of the very esteemed people Deputy Shortall identified and, as she is well aware, I watched the origins as well as some of the earlier growth of Young Ballymun and its impact. I welcome the opportunity to explain the state of play from the Department's perspective. I indicated earlier to Deputy Shortall that I have spent some time reviewing these issues in the early days of my ministry.

The area-based childhood programme, ABC, runs from 2013 to 2017 and is a prevention and early intervention initiative jointly funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Atlantic Philanthropies to the amount of €29.7 million. The aim of the ABC programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children and families living in 13 areas of disadvantage in Ireland. Young Ballymun is one of the 13 organisations participating in the ABC programme, and was allocated €5 million of the overall €29.7 million ABC budget - the highest recipient of programme funding. Prior to the ABC programme, Young Ballymun received €15 million under the prevention and early intervention programme, PEIP, which ran from 2007 to 2013.

In respect of the need for additional funding which the Deputies raised, three organisations participated in the PEIP, moved into the ABC programme at an early stage and were due to conclude operations in mid-2016. Deputy Shortall indicated that the Department has committed additional funding of €400,000 to each of the three organisations: Young Ballymun, the childhood development initiative in TaIlaght and the Preparing for Life programme in Darndale. I acknowledge what she has said about how disappointing that amount of money is for Young Ballymun, but this base level funding-----

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