€4m funding for youth and drugs projects

The Government has allocated funding of more than €4 million for 43 youth and drugs projects around the State.

The funding includes €1.3million for a youth facility in Carlow and €553,000 for a youth and community resource centre in Waterford city.

Other groups to benefit include the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project, Dublin (€100,000), Familiscope psychological services, Ballyfermot, Dublin (€113,437) and the Bluebell Addiction Advisory Group, Dublin (€80,000).

Ferrybank Football Club in Waterford will receive €100,000 for the development of floodlighting for two pitches.

The funding was announced yesterday by Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, Noel Ahern. The projects are to be funded through the young people's facilities and services fund and the emerging needs fund. The aim of the facilities fund is to attract "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas into facilities, programmes and activities that will divert them away from drug misuse.

The emerging needs fund provides funding to local drugs task forces.

Speaking at the announcement in Donore Avenue youth centre in Dublin, Mr Ahern said he was delighted to be in a position to allocate funding towards the development of high-quality youth facilities, particularly in Carlow and Waterford.

"This allocation will bring the total commitment from the young people's facilities and services fund to almost €101million since it was established in 1997 and will allow for the development of outstanding youth facilities for the target group of the fund in Carlow and Waterford," Mr Ahern said.