Our Future Foyle fund ‘wasn’t needed’ - DoH

Government funding of £250,000 for the Our Future Foyle project in Derry was handed back because administrative funding was sourced from elsewhere, the Department of Health has said.
 The Department (DoH) has now confirmed that it was allocated the money specifically for administrative expenditure relating to the Our Future Foyle cross-departmental project last year, but said because it was ring-fenced it couldn’t be allocated to other local projects.
By Brendan McDaid
Published 21st Feb 2020, 12:18 BST
Some of the projects which form part of the proposals for Our Future Foyle and SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan.Some of the projects which form part of the proposals for Our Future Foyle and SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan.
Some of the projects which form part of the proposals for Our Future Foyle and SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan.

Proposals for the ‘Our Future Foyle’ initiative were unveiled in 2018 with the aim to “improve the health and social well-being of everyone using the riverfront of the River Foyle, through rejuvenation and animation”.

Concerns were raised in the Assembly last month by Foyle SDLP MLA Mark Durkan after it emerged that funding for a then unspecified suicide prevention project in Derry was not spent and was instead handed back into the Executive’s Finance department to be redistributed.

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Confirming that the project was indeed Our Future Foyle, a DoH spokesperson told the Journal: “In the event, this money was not required for the Our Future Foyle initiative. The Public Health Agency (PHA) and the other Departments involved in the project were able to provide the funding required. We are therefore satisfied that Our Future Foyle suffered no financial pressure or other detriment as a result of this £250,000 in-year allocation not being used.”

In answer to a follow up query, the DoH said it was “committed to progressing” Our Future Foyle with other Departments, adding: “As this funding was ring-fenced, it could not be allocated elsewhere. The PHA has allocated £60k for administrative and business case work on Our Future Foyle in 2019/20.”

Mr Durkan said: “This money was earmarked for suicide prevention and it should have been spent- that’s the bottom line. In no way is any of this blame attributable to Our Future Foyle and we must work to ensure that project proceeds. But it needs to be acknowledged that there are groups working hard on shoestring budgets that could have made good use of that money this year- and I hope this isn’t indicative of a fractured approach.

“This further underlines the need for a NW suicide prevention taskforce as I proposed previously; one that would involve a number of statutory agencies as well as community, voluntary sector organisations and including representatives from the education sector is also crucial.

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“There are a lot of people working extremely hard on this issue and I think it is important that through closer collaboration, through a more strategic outlook, we could ensure that people are not just working hard but are working effectively together in order to save lives.”

Ralf Alwani, a spokesperson for Our Future Foyle meanwhile said business cases for the project are actively being worked on. “The project is progressing with the team working behind the scenes to ensure it looks at the best approach in delivering the holistic cultural and health intervention which was announced publicly in October 2018.”

A PHA spokesperson said: “The Our Future Foyle team is progressing business cases with the relevant departments, and hope to provide further details in the very near future.”

*Anyone can call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 or the Samaritans on 116 123 if they are experiencing distress.

Related topics:Department of HealthDOHDerryPHA