Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of community based schemes involved in drug rehabilitation funded by his Department in 2007; the extent to which he proposes to increase such support with a view to dealing with the drugs issue for 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26834/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which he proposes to allocate funding under the various schemes available to his Department to groups involved in drug treatment programmes and rehabilitation in County Kildare for 2008; the breakdown of expenditure under those schemes since January 2007 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26835/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together.

Over 440 Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) projects, including those under the Emerging Needs Fund, are receiving interim funding from my Department. Of these, in the region of 200 projects focus on treatment and rehabilitation and funding for these will continue in 2008.

Across the ten Regional Drug Task Force (RDTF) areas, work is progressing on the implementation of their Action Plans. To date, 67 treatment and rehabilitation projects have been funded and this number is expected to rise to approx. 90 projects in 2008.

With regard to Co. Kildare, an allocation of €203,000 has been made to the Community Drug Team for Kildare and West Wicklow following an application from the South West Area RDTF and this funding will continue next year. Some of the other funding provided to that Drugs Task Force also provides benefit broadly across their region of operation, including Co. Kildare. On top of this, a sum in the region of €170,000 has been made available to Teen Challenge, a rehabilitation project at Shechem House, Richardstown, Co. Kildare, arising from applications through the South Inner City LDTF in Dublin.

Meanwhile, as regards capital funding, €22,354 was approved to Newbridge Family Resource Centre in June 2007 under the Premises Initiative. This is in respect of the purchase and installation of a semi-permanent structure for the Centre to provide a dedicated drop-in facility for "at risk" youth.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation was published in May. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to implement the recommendations of the Report and I am actively seeking to initiate their implementation. In that context it is likely that further rehabilitation initiatives will be funded by my Department over the coming years.