Vol. 529 No. 1
1092 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the funding made available to drug task forces and in particular to the Dublin North East Drugs Task Force; the funding made available under the young people's services and facilities fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1133/01]
In 1997, the Government allocated £10 million to support the implementation of measures contained in the action plans prepared by the local drugs task forces. Over 200 projects were supported, to deliver a range of interventions under the themes of prevention, education, treatment, rehabilitation and supply reduction. A sum of £728,000 was allocated to support 12 projects in the Dublin North East Task Force area.
The Government has now allocated a further £15 million to enable the task forces to prepare new updated plans. To date, seven plans have been submitted to the national drugs strategy team for assessment. It is expected that the remainder will be submitted over the next few months and that the new plans will commence operation during 2001.
As part of the Government's national drugs strategy, the young people's facilities and services fund was established by the Government in 1998 to assist in the development of preventative strategies/initiatives in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sport and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The objective of the fund is to attract "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas into these facilities and activities and divert them away from the dangers of substance abuse.
The main focus of the fund has been on local drugs task force areas and funding of over £26 million has been allocated to support almost 300 projects contained in the plans emanating from these areas. In the case of Dublin North East, over £1.8 million was approved to support 27 separate projects in the area.
