The Deputy will be aware that the young people's facilities and services fund was established in 1998 as part of the Government's overall strategy to tackle drug misuse. The fund aims to assist in 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 target group for the fund is ten to 21 year olds who are marginalised through a combination of risk factors relating to family background, environmental circumstances, educational disadvantage, involvement in crime and-or drugs, etc.
The main focus of the fund has been on the local drugs task force areas where integrated plans were prepared on the basis of detailed guidelines agreed by the Cabinet Subcommittee on Social Inclusion and Drugs. Local development groups were set up in each area and comprised representatives from the relevant local drugs task force, the local authority and the VEC. These plans were submitted for consideration via the task forces to the national assessment committee chaired by my Department. The plans were assessed against the guidelines agreed and recommendations were then made to the Cabinet Subcommittee on Social Inclusion and Drugs.
Recognising that the drug problem is not confined to the drugs task force areas in Dublin and Cork city, funding was also allocated to a number of urban areas outside the task force areas where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The target areas selected were Galway, Limerick, south Cork city, Waterford, Carlow and Bray. The vocational education committees in these areas and the health board in the case of Waterford were asked to take the lead in developing integrated drug prevention strategies in consultation with relevant statutory and community-voluntary interests on the basis guidelines agreed by the Cabinet Subcommittee on Social Inclusion and Drugs. The Deputy should note that south Cork city subsequently became part of the Cork local drugs task force while Bray was designated a drugs task force in its own right in 1999.
A separate allocation was also made to assist a number of voluntary organisations with a national or regional remit which have the capacity to deliver targeted education and pre vention initiatives. Under this allocation, seven voluntary organisations were approved funding to deliver drug prevention-education programmes, including peer education programmes, on a national basis.
An amount of €129.5 million has been provided under the national development plan to support measures under the fund. Since 1998, an amount of €60.2 million has been allocated and of this amount, €46.1 million has been allocated to local drugs task force areas while the urban areas of Galway, Waterford, Limerick and Carlow were allocated a further €1.9 million. In addition, the voluntary organisations referred to have been allocated €0.6 million and implementation costs of €2.5 million have also been allocated. The Springboard Initiative which falls under the remit of the Department of Health and Children was allocated an additional €9.1 million.
Additional Information.In broad terms, approximately 350 facility and services projects are being supported under the fund. These initiatives fall under seven broad headings: first, the building, renovating or fitting out of community centres, youth facilities and sports clubs so as to provide suitable accommodation for programmes and services geared for the most at risk young people in an area. Access for the target group is an essential condition of funding for capital projects; second, a number of purpose-built youth centres are being funded which will provide a focal point for youth activities in an area, particularly in areas such as Tallaght, Ballymun, Clondalkin, Blanchardstown in Dublin and, in Cork, where there has been a dearth of dedicated youth facilities; third, more than 85 youth and outreach workers have been appointed to work on the ground with the target group offering developmental activities and educational programmes for young people who have traditionally found themselves outside the scope of mainstream youth work due to family background, involvement with crime or drugs or through lack of education; fourth, ten sports workers have been employed to encourage greater involvement of the target group in sports and recreational activities; fifth, a wide variety of community-based prevention-education programmes, including early school leaving programmes, sports and recreational activities, family support programmes, art, drama and music programmes, counselling and transport services are being supported; sixth, a number of targeted interventions for particular groups such as youth work projects for young travellers have been put in place; and seventh, a number of national drugs education and training officers for youth organisations catering for the target group who will deliver programmes throughout the organisation have also been employed.
To date, €32.9 million has been allocated to capital projects in the task force areas. This was made up of an original allocation of €16.9 million in 1998 followed by increased capital allocations of €3.3 million in 2000 and €12.7 million in 2001 to meet shortfalls that had arisen and were identified by the development groups.
To date, there has been a relatively slow draw-down of the moneys allocated under the fund but this is expected to accelerate over the next 18 months or so when I expect that all of facilities projects will be completed. At the end of 2001, €22.2 million, 43% of the overall amount allocated to date, excluding the Springboard Initiative moneys, had been drawn down by the local authorities and vocational education committees to meet the commitments incurred. This amount is made up of €11.9 million in respect of capital projects and €10.3 million in respect of services projects and implementation costs. This leaves a balance of €28.9 million to be drawn down to meet outstanding commitments under the fund. By the end of 2003, I expect that all projects and initiatives supported under the fund to date will be completed and fully operational.
I would like to advise the Deputy that WRC Consultants were engaged in April 2001 to carry out an independent evaluation of the fund. The consultants are examining the effectiveness and impact of the fund at national plan and local level and the evaluation is expected to be completed later this year.