Vol. 491 No. 6
258 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress, if any, made in discussions with the corporate sector regarding the Youth Services Fund; and the contributions, if any, received to date. [12034/98]
The Deputy will, no doubt be aware that I recently participated in the launch by the Irish Youth Foundation of its initiative Companies Caring for Children. This initiative, is designed to tackle problems faced by young people in areas of disadvantage where the Government's Young People's Facilities and Service Fund will also operate.
As the Deputy will know, the £30 million Young People's Facilities and Services Fund is designed to provide facilities and services for young people in areas where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. Twenty million pounds of the fund is being targeted at the 13 local drug task force areas. Under the fund, development groups are being established in the target areas to prepare integrated plans to address the needs of young people in those areas. The youth foundation will work with these development groups, in selected areas, and with the assessment committee for the fund, to help the foundation identify how their contribution can have maximum impact and complement the Youth People's Facilities and Services Fund in the areas.
Companies Caring for Children will focus initially on the four areas being targeted under the integrated services pilot project, Dublin North East Inner City, the canal communities, Jobstown in Tallaght and Togher in Cork.
To launch the Companies Caring for Children project, the Chairman of the Irish Youth Foundation, Mr. Bill Cullen, has committed £250,000 over the next five years on behalf of his company, Renault Ireland. He and Deputy Chairman, Tony O'Reilly Jr. have set a target of raising £1 million a year through the initiative.
I warmly welcome this initiative and I look forward to further significant contributions from the corporate sector to help communities address the needs of young people at risk of drug abuse.
259 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the areas in County Kilkenny that have made submissions for a financial allocation from the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund; when final decisions will be made in relation to each application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13093/98]
The Government have committed £30 million to the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund over the next three years. The purpose of the fund is to develop facilities and services for young people in areas where a serious drug problem exists, or has the potential to develop.
Twenty million pounds of this amount is being targeted at the areas where the local drugs task forces were set up to develop a local response to the heroin problem. The arrangements for the operation of the fund in these areas were announced recently.
Proposals for the allocation of the remaining £10 million are being finalised and will be announced as soon as they are agreed by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs. These proposals will include the arrangements for the operation of the fund in areas other than the task force areas where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop.
