Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the success of the projects which have received funding under the young peoples facilities and service fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36776/06]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the research that has been carried out to assess if the community facilities that have been put in place under the YPFSF have been successful in attracting the at risk young people into the facilities and activities and direct them away from substance abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37107/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 179 together.

The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund was established in 1998 to assist in the development of facilities (including sport and recreational facilities) and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem existed or had the potential to develop.

While some of the expenditure is for capital work on the provision of facilities, the greater part involves current expenditure on the staffing and running costs of community facilities, particularly the employment of dedicated Youth Workers to deliver activities which are specifically aimed at attracting "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas into activities that will divert them from the dangers of substance misuse.

To date, the focus of the Fund has been in the 14 Local Drugs Task Force areas (12 in Dublin and the others in Bray and Cork City) which were established in the areas experiencing the worst levels of drug misuse, particularly misuse of heroin, as well as on four other urban centres, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and Carlow. Overall approximately €107m has been allocated to support projects employing around 325 people.

Some evaluation of the Fund has been carried out in the past, on both an internal and external basis. Generally feedback from the projects, and from others in the communities concerned, suggest that the initiatives funded have had a significant positive impact on the young people involved.

I am satisfied that the provision of alternative positive and healthy activities and pastimes for young people at risk represents one of the best ways of avoiding their getting involved in the drug culture. It is so much better to prevent a young person becoming involved in the misuse of drugs rather than becoming involved at a later stage to address major problems for that person, his or her family and the local community.

Indeed, the possibility of expanding the number of urban areas that are eligible for funding from the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund may be considered in the coming period. Any decision in that regard will be based on evidence of a significant existing drug problem in a particular centre, or the potential for a drug problem to develop there.

Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount spent since 2002 on streamlining the delivery of community development services; the actions which have been taken on foot of this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36912/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from the joint ministerial initiative on the review of local and community development structures, the Government agreed a series of measures in January 2004 designed to improve arrangements under which community and local development initiatives are delivered and improve cohesion and focus across various measures. Since then, I have directed the cohesion process, which is informed by the following guiding principles:

Improving on the ground services

Streamlining structures so as to avoid overlaps, duplication and undue administrative overheads

Bringing transparency, co-ordination and improved control to the funding and operation of local and community development measures

Strengthening the democratic accountability of agencies and providers in this area.

As a first step towards improving on the ground services, City and County Development Boards (CDBs) were mandated to oversee the cohesion process at local level and to facilitate the development of cohesion proposals by local agencies. During 2004, a total of €3,248,600 was allocated to the CDBs and Údarás na Gaeltachta in respect of proposals aimed at improving linkages between local agencies, support multi-agency actions and promote sharing of resources to maximise the impact of available funding.

The 2005/2006 phase of the process aims to improve the alignment of local and community development agencies by the end of this year in a way that removes any overlaps and duplication and maximises available resources for the benefit of local communities. The intention is that, from 2007, there will be one unified local development structure providing full coverage in any given area and fewer structures overall in the country. The major advantage of such an approach is that the State will be able to deliver programmes such as the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and Rural Social Scheme through these new unified structures because they will have all-area cover.

My preference is for unified overarching structures based around county boundaries where practicable. However, I am prepared to consider variations across county boundaries on their merits.

In 2005, a total of €4,836,927 was allocated from the cohesion fund, including €1,463,400 for volunteering. To date in 2006, a total of €3,852,862 of cohesion funding has been awarded including €76,600 for volunteering. The actions funded under the current round are primarily focused on actions related to the alignment of local development structures, including facilitation, technical assistance, legal advice, corporate planning and training and development of staff. Funding has also been provided for joint service delivery to underpin collaborative actions by agencies directly involved in re-aligning their structures.

At this stage, 23 of the local authority areas and na Gaeltachtaí have fully agreed the integrated structures which will provide full coverage. Discussions are continuing in the remaining areas.

In the context of strengthening the democratic accountability of local development agencies, I intend to put in place new requirements governing the membership of the management structures of the new companies. In this regard, I have asked CDBS, LEADER groups and Partnership companies to provide their views on a draft discussion document setting out a possible composition of the new structures by 16 November.