Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which he proposes to extend financial support to groups, bodies or agencies involved in the fight against drugs throughout County Kildare under various schemes operated by his Department or jointly with other Departments in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2960/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to enhance financial support to groups, bodies or agencies involved in the fight against drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2961/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.

This Government is firmly committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse in our society. This is evidenced by the fact that the funding targeted at community-based initiatives funded through my Department's Vote doubled from 2003 to 2008 — from €31.5m over €64m. These amounts included funding for the Young Peoples Facilities and Services, which has transferred to the Office of the Minister for Children since the beginning of the year.

Funding for Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas in 2009 will be approximately €34.6m. Of this amount, over €23m is being allocated to the Local Drugs Task Forces while over €11m is being earmarked for the Regional Task Forces. Over 440 LDTF projects and in the region of 200 RDTF projects are receiving funding from my Department.

In relation to Co. Kildare which is part of the South West RDTF area, the following allocations have been made:

Abbey Project — funding of €150,000 has been allocated to provide a number of services such as drop-in, family support, referral, counselling, holistic therapies and advice and information on housing to drug users and their families from Celbridge and the surrounding areas;

Community Drug Team for Kildare and West Wicklow — in 2008, funding of €340,112 was approved for this service which will expand and complement existing treatment services along with family support and early responses to young people at the early stage of drug misuse; and

Newbridge Family Resource Centre — in 2007, an amount of €22,354 was approved under the Premises Initiative 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.

Some of the other funding provided to that Drugs Task Force also provides benefit broadly across their region of operation, including Co. Kildare. In addition, 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.

Finally, as the Deputy is aware, the National Drugs Strategy is based on a co-ordinated effort across many Government Departments and Agencies and my Department's allocation is only part of a much bigger investment programme in drugs services by these other bodies. In 2007, it was estimated that expenditure on drugs programmes across all the bodies was in the region of €230m. The figures for 2008 are currently being compiled.