Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The Senator will be aware that the young people's facilities and services fund was established in 1998 as part of the Government's overall strategy to tackle drug misuse. The fund aims to assist in the development of youth facilities, including sport and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The objective of the fund is to attract at risk young people in disadvantaged areas into these facilities and activities and divert them from the dangers of substance abuse. The target group for the fund are ten to 21 year olds who are marginalised through a combination of risk factors relating to family background, environmental circumstances, educational disadvantage, involvement in crime and/or drugs, etc.

The main focus of the fund has been on the local drugs task force areas where integrated plans were prepared on the basis of detailed guidelines agreed by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion. Local development groups were set up in each area and comprised representatives from the relevant local drugs task force, the local authority and the VEC. These plans were submitted for consideration, via the task forces, to the national assessment committee which is chaired by my Department. The plans were assessed against the guidelines agreed and recommendations were then made to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion.

There are 12 drugs task force areas in Dublin, including one in Bray, and there is one drugs task force area in Cork. Recognising that the drug problem is not confined to the local drugs task force areas, funding was also allocated to a number of urban areas, outside the task force areas, where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The areas selected were Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Carlow. They were the only areas selected outside the drugs task force areas. The vocational education committees in these areas, and the health board in the case of Waterford, were asked to take the lead in developing integrated drug prevention strategies in consultation with relevant statutory and community-voluntary interests, on the basis of guidelines agreed by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion.

A separate allocation was also made to assist a number of voluntary organisations with a national or regional remit that have the capacity to deliver targeted education and prevention initiatives. Under this allocation, seven voluntary organisations were approved funding to deliver drug prevention education programmes, including peer education programmes, on a national basis.