‘BETTER FINGLAS’ IN NEXT STAGE OF AREA BASED CHILDHOOD (ABC) PROGRAMME

There was great news today that Finglas will be one of the areas included in the next stage of the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme. 

John with Minister for Frances Fitzgerald at the Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership 

The ABC programme, launched this morning by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Children & Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald, will provide €30m in funding for nine new area - based childhood early intervention schemes across the country between 2013 - 2016. 

The ABC Programme builds on a previous early intervention programme  - the which has been hugely successful in Darndale, Tallaght West and in Ballymun in Dublin North West.

Today’s announcement will mean the ‘Better Finglas’ application goes through to the design stage of the programme along with another nine locations. Importantly, the ABC Programme will also maintain funding for the three existing programmes to allow them to continue their work.

The Programme for Government recognises the importance of breaking the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched. This area - based approach is already being implemented in my own area of Ballymun through Young Ballymun which implements a series of evidence - based services. 

These strategies target different age groups and issues across the life cycle, from pre-birth right through to adulthood.

I have supported the ‘Better Finglas’ consortium since it was set up and it has gone from strength to strength with Barnardos as the lead organisation for the Finglas application. 

I am delighted this application has now been brought forward to the next stage of this process as it will make a great contribution in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty, poor educational attainment and unemployment in each of the programme areas. 

As someone who represents Finglas, I welcome today’s announcement which is delivering on long-standing Labour Party policy.

More information on ABC Sites:

Proposals approved for design stage of ABC Programme 2013-2016: 

Previous Pilot Programmes: 

Tallaght CDI 

Young Ballymun 

Northside Partnership (Darndale/Moatview/Belcamp) 

New sites: 

Bray 

Ballyfermot/Dublin 10 

Clondalkin/Archways 

Dublin Docklands 

Finglas (Barnardos-led project) 

Grangegorman/NW Inner City 

Knocknaheeny (Cork) 

Limerick (A number of proposers from Limerick will be asked to develop a joint proposal, facilitated by Limerick Children Services Committee) 

Louth (Drogheda & Dundalk) 

Midlands (as part of Northside project)