£30m Programme for Young People at Risk
The Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern T.D., announced today (Wednesday, 21 January 1998) that the Government have decided on a Programme for Young People at Risk. The centrepiece of the Programme is a Young People's Facilities and Services Fund of £30m to be provided over the next 3 years to support a variety of capital and non-capital projects in disadvantaged areas. At least £20m will be targeted at those areas particularly affected by the heroin problem.
The initial provision of £l.25m allocated for this year in the Budget is now being increased to £7.5m. This will enable the Fund to begin on a sound basis. This new fund is in addition to the £10m provided in the current year to implement the plans of the Local Drugs Task forces, and the £13m provided for Youth Services.
The allocations from the Fund will be made by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion, chaired by the Taoiseach. The Members of the Cabinet Committee in addition to the Taoiseach, are the Tanaiste and the Ministers for Finance, Health and Children, Environment and Local Government, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, Social, Community and Family Affairs, Tourism, Sport and Recreation and the Ministers of State Chris Flood and Frank Fahey. The allocations will take account of a new co-ordinated focus on the needs of disadvantaged areas, as well as the work of the local Drugs Task Forces, and will be paid direct to the areas of greatest need, through the relevant agencies.
The Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion has been reviewing the findings of the relevant Ministers on the extent of the needs of young people in the most disadvantaged areas. As a result initiatives are now being taken to address different aspects of these needs, including measures to counter early school leaving and to provide more intensive support for children at risk and their families. To underline the importance of a co-ordinated approach the Government have today appointed Minister Frank Fahey to be Minister of State at the Departments of Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in addition to Health and Children. The new fund will support the new co-ordinated approach to prevention in the most disadvantaged areas through the provision of facilities and services.
The Government have decided that a priority requirement is to ensure a more focused and better co-ordinated response by the statutory authorities to the needs of the communities with the greatest levels of disadvantage. New procedures to achieve this objective are being developed by Minister of State, Chris Flood. These will be developed in four pilot areas initially (the North-East Inner City; the Canal Communities - St. Michael's Estate, Dolphin House, St. Teresa's Gardens and Fatima Mansions, Jobstown in Dublin and Togher in Cork) and will be introduced subsequently in the other urban areas of greatest need. A budget of £750,000 has been provided to Minister Flood for this purpose.
20 January 1998