A major programme of support to help children in disadvantaged areas overcome problems such as early school-leaving and low achievement was announced by the Government yesterday.
The €36 million project will focus initially on three of the poorest communities in Dublin - west Tallaght, Darndale and Ballymun - by providing intensive support to young people and their families.
The programme, co-funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies, will evaluate a range of interventions to see if they can make a positive difference to the lives of at-risk children.
Speaking at a function in Dublin yesterday, Minister for Children Brian Lenihan said the best use of funding was to focus initially on a small number of projects in severely disadvantaged areas.
"If these projects prove successful, the results may provide the basis for enhanced resource allocation and policy changes which will improve outcomes for every child in Ireland," Mr Lenihan said.
He said the Government was dedicated to a "what works" approach in its development of policies and services for children.
"This programme is a great opportunity to examine innovative methods for improving outcomes for children in an integrated way and is a new way of working for statutory and non-statutory providers," Mr Lenihan added.
Atlantic Philanthropies chief executive John R Healy said international evidence showed early intervention with disadvantaged children could bring about significantly positive effects.
"We are in full agreement with the Government that diligently gathering evidence about what works and does not work in these three communities, and applying this knowledge to the design of future programmes, will help improve the lives of thousands of children in Ireland for years to come," he said.
The three projects supported by the initial stages of the programme include a childhood development initiative in west Tallaght; an early-intervention project based in the northside communities of Belcamp, Darndale and Moatview; and an initiative of the Ballymun Development Group for Children.
Mr Lenihan also announced the establishment of a forum to analyse and disseminate lessons learned from the projects to help inform wider Government policy.