Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the degree to which he will in 2009 offer extra financial or other assistance to community based voluntary groups involved in combating drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17007/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the expenditure proposed by his Department under the various schemes to assist community based groups involved in combating drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17008/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of applications for funding or other support received from urban based community groups involved in the fight against drugs to date in 2009; the extent to which he will positively respond in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17009/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of applications for grant aid from various community based groups in County Kildare involved in combatting drugs in 2009; the extent of his response to date; when he expects to be in a position to respond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17014/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 to 179, inclusive, and 184 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.

I expect the revised allocation for the Drugs Task Forces for this year to be of the order of €32m.

Projects have been approved funding for the first six months of 2009 and this expenditure will be reviewed before allocating the remaining funding for the second half of the year. My Department will be working with the Task Forces to ensure that this funding is targeted in the most appropriate manner.

Capital funding of around €4.5m will be available in 2009. This allocation will fund existing and some new initiatives under the Premises Initiative Fund, which addresses the accommodation needs of community based drugs initiatives in Task Force areas. It will also complete the outstanding commitments under the once-off 2008 Regional Youth Initiative Fund. This initiative provided for the development of dedicated youth facilities in RDTF areas not covered under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund.

Overall, I am satisfied that the funding being provided in 2009 by my Department will continue to facilitate the delivery valuable community-based initiatives to help address problem drug use.

Across Government, we are taking a number of difficult decisions, but our approach is to do this in as balanced a way as possible. There is a critical need to ensure that resources are directed in a targeted and effective manner and that the maximum benefit is achieved. I would like to assure the Deputy that my primary concern has been — and continues to be — the protection of front-line community-based services delivering vital programmes and initiatives in areas worst affected by problem drug use.

The Deputy will be aware that the Drugs Strategy is based on a co-ordinated approach across many Government Departments and Agencies and my Department's allocation is part of a much bigger investment programme in drugs services by these other bodies. In 2008, it was estimated that total expenditure on drugs programmes was over €264m and initial indications are that this level will be broadly maintained in 2009.

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 provisionally allocated in 2009 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 — for 2009, funding of €350,000 has been provisionally 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.