Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding made available under the emerging needs fund in 2005. [7773/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. It also has responsibility for the work of the 14 local drugs task forces, LDTFs, the ten regional drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund. The role of the LDTFs is to prepare local action plans, which include a range of measures on treatment, rehabilitation, education, prevention and curbing local supply. In addition, the LDTFs provide a mechanism for the co-ordination of services in their areas, while at the same time allowing local communities and voluntary organisations to participate in the planning, design and delivery of those services.

The object of the emerging needs fund, which I announced in January last, is to afford the LDTFs an opportunity to identify gaps in service provision that are not being adequately addressed through existing measures being supported through their plans. As this is the first year of operation of the fund, the Deputy will appreciate that it is difficult to assess the level of demand and hence the overall level of funding that will be required for the fund. However, I am confident that the moneys required will be adequately met from within the overall allocation available to me for drugs programmes in 2005.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding which will be made available in 2005 from his Department for the Leader groups in County Mayo; and the funding which has been allocated to the Mayo Leader groups to date. [7774/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Funds were allocated to Leader groups operating the Leader+ and area-based rural development initiatives in County Mayo for the period of the programme from 2000 to 2006 as follows: