Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her Department's annual spend on tackling problematic alcohol and illegal drug use respectively for each of the past three years. [20959/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme is operated by the Family Support Agency which is under the auspices of my Department. There are currently 107 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) nationwide. The total budget for the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme in 2009 is over €18m.

FRCs provide support to families tailored to the needs of the local community. Typically, services include provision of education or training opportunities, childcare facilities for those attending courses run by the project and practical assistance to community groups such as training, information and support. While they do not have a specific remit to tackle problematic alcohol or drug use, providing support to families experiencing such problems could be one of the services provided. Funding is provided to a Specialist Support Agency, the Family Support Network, to assist FRCs to respond to the drugs problem. The role of the Family Support Network is to provide technical assistance and expertise to local communities to develop their capacity to respond to the drugs crisis in their areas and work alongside statutory and other agencies in tackling the problem at local level. Funding received by the Family Support Network in recent years is given in the Appendix.

The Family Support Network was approved as a Specialist Support Agency for Drugs to projects in the Family & Community Services Resource Centre Programme in April 2008. This new group replaced the former Specialist Support Agency, Dublin Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign.

Table 1: Funding Received by the Specialist Support Agency for Drugs, the Family Support Network, in 2009 & 2008

Table 2: Funding Received by the Specialist Support Agency for Drugs, Dublin Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, in 2007 & 2006