Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the most appropriate source of long-term funding for the community after-schools project in Dublin 1, currently in receipt of short-term funds from his Department, in view of the very valuable work in child care and training undertaken by this project since it was established in 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23073/04]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I informed the Deputy in reply to his Parliamentary Question No. 1284 last week that the community after schools project, Dublin 1, was originally funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through Area Development Management. Following a decision in that Department that the project no longer met the criteria for funding through ADM under the equal opportunities child care programme, my Department agreed to fund the project through its community development unit in recognition of the need to maintain the after-schools services in the Amiens Street area. Short-term funding until the end of 2004 has been agreed. Subject to continued satisfactory progress within the project, I anticipate that funding will be made available to this project in 2005 from my Department.

However, I understand that the CASP also applied for funding to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board. The board has decided to engage ADM to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf. This application is currently being evaluated by ADM against the criteria set out in the published guidelines. Following this evaluation process, a recommendation will be made to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board for decision. The CASP will be advised of the board's decision in due course.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I accept that funding is being provided for this year and, hopefully, next year from the community development unit of the Department. Is it intended, all going well, that the community development unit will continue to fund this project on an ongoing basis? I ask in the context of the fact that, since its inception in 1995, the project was funded first by the Department of Social Welfare, then the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and now the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. There is a great deal of frustration with such projects that no one Department appears to take responsibility for after-school projects. Does the Minister of State accept that the recent OECD report severely criticised this country regarding early childhood education and specifically the need to provide after-school activities for children in severely disadvantaged areas? Here we have a group which has spent years of frustrated effort and energy in trying to locate a source of ongoing funding to provide such a service. The OECD report stated it was one of the strengths of the Irish system that it had voluntary and community groups carrying out this type of work.

Will the Minister clarify the position regarding funding from the community development unit? Is it intended to provide this on an ongoing basis? What can be done to mainstream groups providing after-school services in the absence of anything else for children in extremely disadvantaged areas in the north inner city? That part of the north inner city, as the Minister is well aware, is a byword for inequality and lack of access to second and third level education.

There was a question earlier about drugs and children who end up using drugs. Services and community projects such as the one under discussion steer young children away from drugs and give them a chance to get through second level and into third level education. Does the Minister accept it is of vital importance to disadvantaged areas that projects such as these are given a permanent source of funding for the very badly needed after-school activities they provide?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Funding is secure for this year. I anticipate that next year funding will be provided either from the dormant accounts fund or by the Department. I cannot say what the position will be further into the future.

This is a very good project. The fact the Department took it over is proof of that. I am not sure whether the Deputy has done it justice because some items he mentioned might be on a different tangent. The Deputy is correct about its history, that it was under the Department of Social and Family Affairs and then the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform as a child care project. It has come to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as a community development project. For the Deputy to zone in on the child care aspect of it is not music to the ears of my Department. The reason it was moved from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is that it no longer met the necessary criteria. It now covers not only children but adults and community development. That is why my Department is involved. It is a good project but it has outgrown the existing funding schemes. It is now viewed, from a long-term perspective, as community development and that is how it is being funded. Its effectiveness must also be examined in terms of continuing resources. It is a good project. The issue is to find the right home for it. If it fits the criteria of community development, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs will be happy to look after it. However, the difficulty is that as such projects grow, they do not remain within the criteria set out by different Departments. That is why it was moved from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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The reason I raised the matter is that it is such a good project. The Minister of State says his Department is happy to fund it for the moment. That is the problem. How can the people running this project, which has been in operation since 1995, continue without funding? They need something better than a promise of funding for the moment.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I hear what the Deputy says. Departments are rather structured and fund the groups in question within certain criteria. I do not believe the project is in any immediate danger. The fact that I can state that it is viewed as a good project indicates that. However, it is moving towards adult education. My Department is happy to fund the project under the heading of community development. It is not a child care project. If it was it would be dealt with by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.