Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I accept the impact of the activities by those who deal in illicit drugs and criminal activity on his community, which CAB has struck at. It is a scourge on our society and on communities up and down the country. We need to have a systemic approach to the allocation of funding to communities that suffer from such activities. By that I mean through the various Departments, we should target resources in a proactive and co-ordinated way through the Exchequer, not necessarily coming from CAB, which will go back in, but through education and dealing with young people and early school leavers in terms of psychological supports and whole social supports, a bit like the RAPID areas of yesteryear. We should restore that type of collective co-ordinated approach on the ground, a bit like the initiative which has been highly effective in the north inner city. We need to take that approach more systematically across the country.

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