Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004
175 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the levels of disbursement for RAPID, CLÁR and the drug task force areas that are being ring-fenced in respect of his estimates for 2004; the way in which these amounts compare with 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7704/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is as follows. Funding of €5.8 million is provided for the RAPID programme in my Department's Vote in 2004. The breakdown of this amount is €4.5 million for capital expenditure and €1.3 million for current expenditure. The capital funding of €4.5 million is a new dedicated fund that has been set aside in 2004 to support small scale local actions from RAPID plans. This funding will be used as leverage money to facilitate co-funding from State agencies. As regards the €1.3 million current funding, this amount will be provided to ADM to meet administration expenses and to provide support to area implementation teams. The amount provided for this purpose in 2003 was €1.5 million.
The provision for the CLÁR Programme in 2004 is €13.49 million which is a 42% increase over the 2003 allocation of €9.517 million. This demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Government to this programme, originally initiated as a two year programme only. The 2004 provision will enable the continuation of investment under existing measures of the programme while providing the scope for the introduction of such new measures as may be identified during the year.
A sum of €26.756 million has been allocated, in the current year, to my Department's subhead which funds: local drugs task force plans, young peoples services and facilites, the operations of the national drugs strategy team and the national advisory committee on drugs. This is an increase of 5% on the allocation in 2003. The vast bulk of this money will be spent on drug task force areas. The research carried out by the NACD relates to drug misuse and therefore also has a considerable focus on drug task force areas. The Deputy should note that €6.685 million from the Vote of my Department transferred to the Votes of the Departments of Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform who are now responsible for the continued funding of 85 projects under the YPFSF which were mainstreamed with effect from 1 January 2004.
