Pat Rabbitte
Question:39 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the extent to which budgetary provision has been drawn down by the local drugs task forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7670/00]
Other Questions. - National Drugs Strategy.
The Government has provided annual funding of up to £10 million in the Vote of my Department since its establishment for the drugs initiative, which has been used to implement over 200 pilot projects in the action plans of the local drugs task forces, pending evaluation as to suitability for mainstreaming. This funding is transferred, on request, to other Departments and agencies who oversee the operation of the individual projects and act as channels of funding to the approved projects. Expenditure under the drugs initiative provision in the years 1997-9 has been £1,584 million, £3,888 million and £4.941 million, respectively.
In this context, mainstreaming refers to the process whereby projects which are evaluated and found to be effective, continue to receive funding, as appropriate through relevant Departments or agencies in accordance with agreed protocols. Evaluation has commenced and conclusions are expected to become available from this process from the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the Government has approved continuation of the local drugs task forces for a further two years and has allocated a further £15 million over the two years to enable them to up-date their action plans. These plans are expected to be submitted around the middle of this year when the evaluation of the projects referred to above has been completed.
The reason for tabling this question is that there is a perception that many of the projects are not being approved. While announcements regarding the amounts of money are being made, the actual amount drawn down is small by comparison. Will the Minister of State comment on that perception?
I do not know how that perception could be out there. If the local drugs task forces are seeking money we are allocating funding. To be honest, the position is the contrary. We have more money than is being drawn down – that is the reversal of the perception. I shall meet the national drugs team shortly and shall inform them that further money is available and will encourage them to sanction more projects so that we can fund them. I do not understand the perception outlined by the Deputy.
Will the Minister of State say if there is a high level of refusal of projects, in other words, projects not being approved? Has he statistical or other information in that regard?
In 1997 the Government approved funding for more than 200 projects from the local drugs task forces plans at a cost of £10 million. Since then on an annual basis an amount of £10 million has been provided for the national drugs initiative. To date, £11.33 million has been drawn down by these projects with a further £2.8 million being processed. This amount includes interim funding to those projects which have used up their initial one year budgets pending their formal evaluation. A total of 131 projects are in receipt of interim funding. A question that has struck me since coming into this Department is that while we have funds, why are more projects not being submitted? When I meet the national drugs team I shall ask why they are not using the money available. It is certainly not being refused.
What the Minister of State has said is new to me. Is he saying in respect of projects approved in 1997, because of their nature and the organisations that had to come together to get them off the ground and where costs have escalated and there is a genuine problem due to delays, there is money available to complete those projects?
There is a problem with the young people's services and facilities fund. This is causing—
It is not that one.
That is causing a certain number of problems. People applied for a certain amount of money, costs escalated and they did not get it. The position with the local drugs task forces money is as I have outlined. Funds are available and I intend to ask them to use up those funds for other projects.