More than 800 young people aided by Solas Project

The project included nearly 400 children across nine schools, over 250 in community youth work, more than 40 young people engaged in crime, 80 young people in prison or child detention facilities, and over 20 young people in social enterprise.

More than 800 disadvantaged young people were assisted by the Solas Project last year, including almost 270 through long-term youth work programmes.

It included nearly 400 children across nine schools, over 250 in community youth work, more than 40 young people engaged in crime, 80 young people in prison or child detention facilities, and over 20 young people in social enterprise.

The Dublin project is based on “long-term intervention” of young people aged between five and their mid-20s, targeting the “most in need”.

In its annual report for 2023, Solas said it worked with 44 young people in its youth justice programme, Rua. 

This is a four-year intervention model aimed at those aged 15 to 22 involved in crime or at risk of doing so. 

It operates in the Dublin 8 and 12 areas.

In its annual report for 2023, Solas said it worked with 44 young people in its youth justice programme, Rua. 

A second justice project, TRY, works with people aged 18 to 26 involved in the drugs trade and the negative impact it has on their lives, including “chaotic drug and alcohol use, mental health issues and limited opportunities in education and employment”.

A third project, Compass, works with 58 young people in adult prisons or in Oberstown Children Detention Centre as well as 22 young people in the community.

Anna Liffey Drug Project

A separate annual report for 2023 by the Ana Liffey Drug Project said “lives were saved” when the nitazene overdose cluster emerged in Dublin last November.

It said the quick street work by its outreach team helped identify people who had overdosed and collect samples, which gardaí were able to rush to the HSE for testing.

“I am proud to say that lives were saved because of the joined up and fast thinking response,” Dawn Russell, director of services, said in the report.

Ana Liffey provides services in Dublin and Limerick, including almost 3,500 harm reduction interventions, such as clean needles, in Limerick in 2023.

In Dublin, almost 840 interventions were provided under the Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery programme, run jointly by local gardaí and Ana Liffey. 

Gardaí and project workers manage individual cases and focus on the person's addiction, homelessness, anti-social/criminal behaviour, and mental health. 

The Dublin project, operating since 2014, deals with 260 people a year, while the Limerick programme, which started in April 2023, saw 60 people in the first nine months.