Written answers

Thursday, 15 May 2008

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Departmental Expenditure

5:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his Department's spending proposals in 2008 on a county or regional basis, urban and rural; the degree to which expenditure is expected to focus on drug prevention or rehabilitation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18849/08]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I take it the Deputy is referring to Drugs expenditure.

Tackling the problem of drug misuse is a key priority for the Government and will continue to be so. This commitment is evidenced by the allocation of over €64m in my Department's Vote for drugs programmes in 2008, which is a substantial increase on the 2007 allocation.

With regard to spending proposals for 2008, my Department is providing funding for the 14 Local and 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces. Over 440 LDTF projects are being supported with funding of €22m from my Department in 2008. In the region of 270 of those projects focus on drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

Across the 10 RDTF areas, work is progressing on the implementation of their Action Plans with the level of expenditure expected to reach €10m this year in respect of approx. 200 projects. Currently, in the region of 150 of these projects focus on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

In addition, as part of a €2m funding package to support rehabilitation and to address cocaine use announced earlier this year, an amount of €750,000 is being earmarked for rehabilitation-focused projects. These will be rolled out through the Drugs Task Forces and the funding will be allocated to individual projects over the coming months.

The Deputy should also note that capital funding is available under the Premises Initiative which addresses the accommodation needs of community drugs projects in Task Force areas. Already this year, funding of nearly €4m was approved for 15 capital projects, a number of which focus on rehabilitation.

Finally, it should be noted that over €150m has been allocated to date to support a broad range of projects under the Young People's Facilities & Services Fund. The Fund assists in the development of youth facilities and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. It has a strong preventative theme and targets 10 –21 year olds. Recently, the Fund was expanded to 4 additional towns — Athlone, Dundalk, Wexford and Arklow — and arrangements to give effect to this expansion are being rolled out at present.

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