Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if extra funding will be offered to voluntary or community groups involved in combating drug abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36962/05]

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 local and regional drugs task forces as well as the young people's facilities and services fund. Through these initiatives, a range of voluntary and community groups are funded to tackle drug misuse in their areas.

To date: approximately €95 million has been allocated to implement in the region of 440 projects contained in the two rounds of plans of the local drugs task forces; a further €13.66 million has been allocated to projects under the premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects; approximately €90 million has been allocated under the young peoples facilities and services fund to support in the region of 450 facilities and services; and in relation to the regional drugs task forces, allocations totalling just under €5 million have been made to support their action plans, thus allowing them to get a range of projects up and running in their areas.

My Department was allocated €31.5 million to fund drugs initiatives in 2005, an 18% increase on the original allocation for 2004. The additional moneys were targeted particularly at the local and regional drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund.

In relation to the coming year, I can report to the Deputy that, in the Abridged Estimates Volume published recently, my Department was allocated a further increase of 8% over this year's allocation to fund drugs initiatives in 2006.