Mr. Noel Ahern T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy today (11 August 2004) announced an allocation of €440,000 under the Young Persons Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF) to put in place eight additional Sports Development Officers. The eight new Officers will operate in a number of areas across Dublin including Dun Laoghaire, Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Tallaght and the South Inner City area.
In keeping with the overall aim of the Fund, the Sports Development Officers work with "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas to divert them away from the dangers of substance abuse. The Officers use sport as a tool to engage young people into active recreation and leisure pursuits and facilities at the level to suit their needs.
"The YPFSF is a very important part of the Government's overall strategy to combat drugs, particularly amongst young people. I am delighted to be in a position to allocate additional monies today towards the expansion of the Sports Development Officer programme. Today's announcement means that each of the Task Force areas will now have an Officer working in their area and actively engaging with marginalised young people through the medium of sport," Minister Ahern said.
"Sport is a valuable tool for engaging young people into positive and creative pursuits and I am very pleased that a number of the Sports Development Officers will be based in - and will make extensive use of - many of the top class sport and community facilities built under the first round of the YPFSF and which have recently been completed. These include St. Catherine's Centre in the South Inner City and the John Paul Park Centre in Cabra where today's announcement is being made," the Minister added.
Over €72m has been allocated under the two rounds of the YPFSF to support over 450 capital and services projects in the fourteen Local Drugs Task Force areas. This includes an allocation of over €13m made in March 2004.
Photographs available from the Press Office on request.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The YPFSF is a Programme that targets those young people most at risk from substance misuse in disadvantaged areas.
By developing youth, sport and other recreational facilities, the YPFSF seeks to attract "at risk" young people away from the potential dangers of substance misuse, into safe, non-threatening and constructive environments.
The YPFSF operates in the 14 Local Drug Taskforce Areas and the 4 urban areas. These are:
Ballyfermot Ballymun
Blanchardstown Bray
Canal Communities Clondalkin
Dublin N.E. Cork
Dublin 12 DunLaoghaire/ Rathdown
Finglas/ Cabra North Inner City
South Inner City Tallaght
Carlow
Galway
Limerick
Waterford
Development Groups in each of the YPFSF areas have drawn up plans and submitted them to the National Assessment Committee for evaluation. These plans were eventually approved for funding by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion, which is chaired by the Taoiseach.
Over the course of the National Development Plan 2000 -2006, the YPFSF has been allocated a total of €149.65 million.
The National Assessment Committee is made up of representatives from: Government Departments; outside agencies; the National Drug Strategy Team (NDST); Youth Services and the voluntary and community sectors. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is the current Chair of the National Assessment Committee.
As of July 2003, the National Assessment Committee had approved 93 capital projects and helped to employ almost 120 project workers.
€68 million has been allocated as follows:
€56.4 million to the 14 Local Drugs Task Force areas (LDTFs);
€1.9 million to the 4 Urban Areas;
€0.6 million to Voluntary Organisations; and
€9.1 million to the Springboard Initiative (under the aegis of the Dept of Health & Children).