Red Door Project to get €98k to employ a prison link worker
Foroige awarded €150k for “New Choices” Project
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, has approved allocations amounting to €400k for four projects in County Louth from the €2 million Community Safety Innovation Fund which reinvests proceeds of crime as seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, back into communities most affected by criminality.
Local Fine Gael TD, Fergus O’Dowd confirmed to Drogheda Life this morning that Foroige in Drogheda is to get €150k for their “New Choices” Project which will respond to the needs of early school leavers aged 10+. This is supported through the Drogheda Implementation Plan.
Drogheda’s award winning drug rehabilitation service, The Red Door Project, has been awarded €98k to employ a prison link worker who will provide one to one sessions with clients to aid preparations, engagements and referrals to relevant services. This too was a strategic priority under the Drogheda Implementation Plan.
Omeath District Development CLG has been approved €118k for a “steering and sparring” project which will seek to address risk taking behaviour by young people aged 16+ in the rural areas of Omeath, Carlingford and the wider Cooley Peninsula.
Finally, Outcomers in Dundalk have been awarded €36,800 for their “App Happy” project which aims to discuss online dating safety with the young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the North East.
Welcoming the announcement O’Dowd said: “This funding is something I am particularly delighted to see as I have been campaigning for as far back as 2003 when I first tabled a Bill in the Dáil.
“I was delighted when the Minister launched the initial opening of the scheme in April with an initial €2m in funding, however the Minister has also confirmed to me that the scheme will be increased to provide a total of €3m for 2023 which is great news.
“I would like to thank Minister McEntee for securing what is nearly 25% of the national funding for County Louth alone and I believe these community projects will greatly benefit from the awards.”
Also thanking Minister McEntee and indeed, Deputy O’Dowd was independent Councillor Paddy McQuillan who, some years ago was horrified to hear at a JPC meeting that over €1m was seized during Drogheda’s gang feud.
He suggested that, rather than be put into the government coffers, the money should be redirected to communities that were directly affected by the feud.
“Luckily enough Deputy Fergus O’Dowd was also at that meeting, and he brought it the floor of the Dáil on my behalf and Minister McEntee was open to the idea” said Cllr. McQuillan.
“Following on from that, myself and independent councillors from 15 councils around the country got their respective Councils to write to the Minister urging her to follow this proceeds of crime fund and now we see this come to light today.
“I am very proud with what I have done and would like to thank Deputy O’Dowd for his invaluable assistance in this matter.”
