25 MILLION POUND ANTI-DRUGS PLAN ANNOUNCED

The Government has announced a IEP25 million package to fund youth,
community and sports centres, youth and outreach workers and community-based
prevention programmes in deprived areas of Cork and Dublin badly affected by
heroin addiction.

The initiative was outlined yesterday at a press conference by the Minister
of State for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Mr Chris Flood, who has special
responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy. The conference was also
attended by the Taoiseach, the T'1naiste, Ms Harney and the Minister for
Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid.

Mr Ahern said the Government was tackling the supply side of the heroin
problem through the garda and the Criminal Assets Bureau, but it also had to
target the demand for the drug in disadvantaged areas, particularly in
Dublin.anaiste understood because they represented such areas.

He said "tackling the drug problem is about tackling the underlying factors
which give rise to the demand for heroin", particularly by providing youth
and sports facilities.

Mr Flood said the IEP25 million Young People's Facilities and Services Fund
was based on threeyear plans developed between local drug task forces, local
authorities and VECs. These had identified the needs of young people most at
risk and the severe gaps in youth, sport and community provision in the 13
drug task force areas.

These are Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, Canal Communities,
Clondalkin, Dublin 12, Dublin North East, Dublin Inner City, Dublin South
Inner City, D'FAn Laoghaire/Rathdown, Finglas/Cabra, Tallaght and, in Cork,
one area covering Glen, Knocknaheeney and Togher.

The new fund will finance 41 youth centres, 25 community centres and 20
sports facilities in these areas. In some areas, such as Ballymun and
Corduff in Blanchardstown, new purposebuilt youth centres will be built. In
others, youth and sports centres will be modernised.

A variety of community-based programmes will also be funded, including early
school-leaving programmes, after-school, sport and recreational activities,
family support programmes, art, drama and music projects,
counselling and transport services.

Organisations such as the National Youth Federation and the Catholic Youth
Council will receive IEP500,000 to work on drug prevention programmes.

Mr Flood also paid tribute to the Irish Youth Federation - which raises
funds through special events from the corporate sector - for contributing
IEP264,000 to projects in five task force areas as part of its "Companies
Caring for Children" initiative.