Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging the merit of the proposal and that a gap exists. While the Minister of State has advised it that it should make a proposal to the local drugs task force, at the same time the Department has clearly advised the local drugs task force not to recommend new projects. My understanding is that it has been advised that its funding is only on the basis of existing services and there is no scope for others. This project is purely a restoration and it is not looking for anything new. The implicit suggestion is that if it wants to restore a project, it must cut other projects within the task force area. Obviously that puts any local drugs task force in an impossible position because the needs across a wider area are so huge. There have already been cuts in services so it puts it in an impossible position to suggest the only way to get approval is to cut other services in the area.

This is money that was taken out of the pot for the Dublin north-east area local drugs task force to be used nationally, so it is only fair that it should at least be back in the pot rather than be taken from other local services. It is an impossible position for everybody involved. It is a really worthwhile project, as the Minister of State has acknowledged. At this stage we are almost half way through 2013 and I hope he will look at it again for next year. If the Minister of State has time I invite him to meet some of the people involved and hear the case from them directly. I know he has already acknowledged the merits of the project, but he might feel more strongly about it if he could see the professionalism of the people involved and the potential for the initiative if it could get off the ground.