Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-18
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I thank Deputy Butterly for raising this issue. I have seen at first hand the benefit of the work that was done by the Drogheda Implementation Board, which formally came to an end on 31 December 2024, having had its term extended. The board produced a very good report, Drogheda: Creating a Bridge to a Better Future, which had 74 recommendations.
They were really under two headings: the need for improved interagency co-operation and the need to resource additional services. I am pleased that over the lifetime of the board, 70 posts were created to drive forward implementation. Twenty three of these are permanent posts while others are funded on a long-term basis by a variety of Departments. In addition to this, €31 million of direct funding was committed to support the posts or capital projects. I recall during my time in the Department of higher education, I visited the Drogheda Institute of Further Education, DIFE. There are big plans for expansion there with the apprenticeship centre so lots of good work is happening.
The direct answer to the Deputy's question, in terms of driving it forward and continuing to bring the agencies together, is that will now fall to the auspices of the new Louth local community partnership to make sure it builds on that progress. Perhaps in the new year, we could engage and meet with the partnership or relevant State agencies on how to take that forward.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18