Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding available in 2008 for community based groups involved in combating drug addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25200/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding available for allocation to those providing drug rehabilitation services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25201/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans he has to provide funding for those involved in combating drugs on a county by county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25202/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 to 103, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of expenditure allocated to community groups through my Department for drugs initiatives is channelled through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs). The areas covered by the Drugs Task Forces are detailed below. Projects are submitted through Drugs Task Forces to the National Drugs Strategy Team who make recommendations to myself, as Minister with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, on funding.

Over 440 Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) projects, including those under the Emerging Needs Fund, are receiving funding from my Department. The 2008 allocation of €22m for such projects shows an increase of 9.5% over the amount spent in 2007. In the region of 170 of these projects focus on treatment and rehabilitation. Across the ten Regional Drugs Task Force (RDTF) areas, work is progressing on the implementation of their Action Plans with the level of expenditure expected to increase by over 40% this year. Expenditure in 2007 on the ten RDTF plans came to over €7m and the increased provision in 2008 will allow for the full year cost of the approx. 155 community projects already in progress and the start of roughly another 40 projects this year. In 2007, a total of 67 treatment and rehabilitation projects were approved for funding and this is expected to rise to around 90 in 2008.

In addition, as part of a €2m funding package announced earlier this year to support rehabilitation and to address cocaine use, an amount of €750,000 was earmarked for rehabilitation-focussed projects. The funding will be allocated to suitable projects over the coming months. Under the Premises Initiative Fund, which addresses the accommodation needs of community drugs projects in Task Force areas, nearly €4m has been approved in 2008 for 15 capital projects, a number of which focus on rehabilitation.

Local Drugs Task Force areas

Ballyfermot

Ballymun

Blanchardstown

Bray

Canal Communities

Clondalkin

Cork City

Dublin North East

Dublin 12

Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown

Finglas / Cabra

North Inner City

South Inner City

Tallaght

Regional Drugs Task Forces

East Coast Area RDTF — Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown and East Wicklow.

Northern Area RDTF — North Dublin City and Fingal.

South-Western Area RDTF — South Dublin City, South Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow.

Midland RDTF — Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois.

Mid-West RDTF — Clare, North Tipperary and Limerick.

North-Eastern RDTF — Monaghan, East Cavan, Meath and Louth.

North-Western RDTF — West Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim.

Southern RDTF — Cork County and Kerry

South-Eastern RDTF — Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary South and Waterford.

Western RDTF — Mayo, Roscommon and Galway.