Funds to fight child prostitution cut

A service to combat homelessness, drug abuse and sexual exploitation of young people in Dundalk is at risk since funding was cut by almost a third.

The Youth Initiative Project was founded in 1997 to deal with the growing problem of boys becoming prostitutes. It provides medical aid and counselling, sexual health advice, pregnancy testing, advocacy and referral services to 12 to 22-year-olds. Project manager Ms Rosie Toner explained that although the service would continue to receive €200,000 a year from the North Eastern Health Board it will lose the €80,000 per year from the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.

The programme funding is overseen by the Combat Poverty Agency and Area Development Management. Ms Toner said she would be "absolutely extremely worried" about the future of the Youth Initiative Project and the young people it serves.

"We had hoped to extend our services in the new year and it looks as though we will have to drastically shave them back or even face closing.

"We see over 200 children on our books and new faces every day. We have a doctor and are the only service that openly offers sexual health services to young people."

She said homelessness among young people in the area had grown dramatically since the project opened.

While it had seen about three or four new homeless young people a year in 1997, it was now seeing about four new people a month. Ms Helen Johnston, director of the Combat Poverty Agency, said the agency was "aware of the project and that it does very good work". However, funding to projects from the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was open to review every two years.

"One of the criteria for the funding is that projects must be involved in peace building work.

"At the end of 2003 we were in a competitive situation where there were more projects applying for funding than there was funding. Unfortunately it is the case that that project did not score as well as others on the peace building."

Ms Toner said the project worked with similar projects in Newry and Craigavon bringing young people at risk together.

The project would appeal the decision to the Special EU Programmes Body in Belfast, she added.