€100k for inner-city Dublin youth groups

Parents living in areas menaced by Dublin’s inner-city gang feud are “afraid to let their children” outside because of the risk of being caught up in violent attacks.

Children and Youth Affairs Minister Katherine Zappone revealed the situation as she launched a Government-backed strategy to protect young people from the gang crisis and ensure they are no longer “living in the shadow of the gun”.

As part of a multimillion-euro plan to tackle gang violence in the inner city launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny last week, more than €100,000 has been set aside to help support youth groups in the areas.

The project, called the North East Inner City Brighter Futures initiative, is designed to involve children and young people in decisions affecting their community, support after-school and youth services, and crucially remain in education.

Speaking in East Wall yesterday, Ms Zappone said the money is vital as the current problems mean some parents are fearful of letting their children go outside.

She said the “shadow of the gun” continues to affect the area, and is putting children’s futures needlessly at risk.

“It’s been very difficult for them [inner-city communities] and one of the things that really distresses me is the fact the parents have been afraid to let their children go into some of the programmes [ran by local youth groups in summer] because of what’s been going on. What we’re trying to put on offer is that they can continue to live normal lives.

Children and Youth Affairs Minister Katherine Zappone

“It’s [the new initiative] based on a model that’s been used in South Africa as well as Northern Ireland for communities where there’s been conflicts and violence.

“In the context of that we hope there can be a restoring of some of the relationships that have been torn asunder by living in the shadow of the gun,” she said.

Under the new funding plans to help tackle the threat of young people becoming involved in the ongoing Kinahan-Hutch gang feud in the area, Government has agreed to provide more than €100,000 to youth groups already in existence in the communities.

The money is due to be made available throughout the remainder of this year to a number of organisations, including the St Mary’s Youth Group at Strangford Road East, where Ms Zappone announced the plans yesterday.