Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding his Department allocates to a group (details supplied); the number of meetings he or his officials has had or proposes to have with the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26503/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Group in question is a community based educational and rehabilitation day programme for women in treatment for drug addiction. While it was formerly funded by my Department, it has now been mainstreamed to FÁS who fund it directly.

The Group also acts as a project promoter for another project which receives interim funding from my Department through the North Inner City Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF). An allocation of €57,392 has been provided in that regard for the employment of a person to work in a case management role, identifying barriers for clients who are moving between various addiction services and seeking to resolve any issues arising.

I was delighted that my first official engagement as Minister for State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was to address a conference on cocaine at Croke Park on 28th June. This conference was jointly organised by the Group and the National Drugs Strategy Team, with my Department being the main funders.

On 19th July last, I visited the North Inner City LDTF area and met with representatives of the Group as part of a meeting with people from a number of projects in the area. Earlier in the year, my officials organised and attended a meeting with a representative of the Group (and others) in the context of finalising the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation. If the Group wish to meet with me, or with my officials, we would be happy to accede to such request.