Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 March 2022
97. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the status and engagements of the Drogheda Implementation Board; the recommendations contained in a report (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16231/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the publication and implementation of the recommendations of the Drogheda scoping report are key actions in my Department's Justice Plan 2022.
Last year my Department published a report I had commissioned from the former Director of the Probation Service, Mr. Vivian Geiran, who made over 70 recommendations on short and long-term responses to challenges the community faces in Drogheda. These include measures around crime prevention, youth services, drug addiction, education, infrastructure and community development.The recommendations highlight the need for improved interagency cooperation in the administration and delivery of State services in Drogheda, as well as the need to provide additional resources and services in certain areas.
In July of last year, Minister Humphreys obtained Government approval for an Implementation Plan for the report. The Government also committed to a special focus on Drogheda, including Departments and State agencies prioritising necessary funding applications for projects related to the Drogheda Implementation Plan.
The Implementation Plan identifies the relevant stakeholders for each recommendation and outlines the next steps for engagement and delivery. The Plan will be a living document and will be reviewed by my Department each quarter, with progress reports produced twice yearly. This approach will facilitate ongoing engagement and consultation and my Department has just completed the first internal quarterly review. The first progress report of the Drogheda Implementation Plan is currently under development and will be published in Quarter 2 of this year.
The most important aspect is at local level where the Drogheda Implementation Board is the core driver and co-ordinator of the activities outlined in the plan and my Department leads national oversight to ensure strategic direction, action planning and the delivery of the Drogheda Implementation Plan. The first meeting of the Drogheda Implementation Board took place on 13 October 2021. I met with the board on 4 November and I look forward to seeing the further progress of the Implementation Plan in the coming months but there have already been some very positive actions arising from the plan. The Department of Education has provided supports to the three schools identified in the report and my own Department has provided further funding to the Red Door Project to ensure the continued provision of their important services. Funding has also been committed to the Moneymore Consortium to support their planning work for the proposed development of a community hub facility and to the Moneymore Childcare Centre to ensure the continuation of the essential meal service they provide to children. My Department has also secured a further €250,000 in Dormant Accounts Funding for continued implementation of targeted crime prevention and harm-reduction measures in Drogheda in 2022.
