Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding from his Department that has gone to supporting social options for those who choose to socialise in a drug and alcohol free environment in particular late opening cafes targeted at teenagers. [42864/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware my Department administers and delivers a wide range of programmes and measures targeted at social or economic deprivation and its consequences in either rural or urban areas and at community development, both local and national. Funding has been made available or is potentially available, for the specific purposes adverted to by the Deputy under a number of these programmes and measures.

In pursuance of the National Drugs Strategy, Drugs Task Forces covering all parts of the country have developed detailed strategies and plans which aim to oversee a co-ordinated response to illicit drugs use having regard to the level of existing services. Many of the plans developed include actions to engage young people to participate in programmes and activities in drug and alcohol free environments, many with an educational preventative content.

The Young People's Facilities and Services Fund is targeted at young people in the age range of 10 to 21 years who are defined as "at risk" due to factors such as family circumstances, educational disadvantage, or involvement in crime or substance misuse. Under the Fund, the Department has supported approximately 460 facility and services projects with a total allocation to date of over €108m. Among the facilities involved are drop in facilities for young people and a small number of youth cafés.

Disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund are targeted at, inter alia, those affected by economic or social disadvantage and those affected by educational disadvantage. Among the measures approved by Government for assistance from Dormant Accounts in 2006 is one which provides for the ring-fencing of up to €11.5 million for projects identified as priorities by RAPID Area Implementation Teams. In this regard, details of the 188 projects approved under this measure were announced in July 2006, including 5 projects which involved the allocation of funds to support youth cafes.

In addition, funding totalling €204,227 was allocated to Youth Projects under Cohesion and Volunteering during 2004 and 2005.

Funding may also be sought from the Community Development Programme. This is a programme which was designed to reduce social exclusion by targeting support at disadvantaged and socially excluded communities in order to improve their capacity to benefit from social and economic development.

Some €24 million has been allocated to the Programme in 2006. This will bring funding to approximately €148m under the Programme through the current National Development Plan since the foundation of the Department in 2002.

Funded projects are expected to:

act as a resource within the communities of which they are a part

be managed by local voluntary management committees made up predominantly of people from the local area/target groups who themselves have experience of disadvantage and social exclusion

CDPs provide resources/facilities for over 700 local community organisations, including groups representing youth groups, and other miscellaneous groups working with disadvantaged communities.