A scheme aimed at improving the lives of children in the Ballymun area of Dublin was unveiled today.
Youngballymun will provide community supports to parents, improve educational expectations and create an environment to nurture children's development in the estate in the north of the city.
Minister for Children Brian Lenihan today described the project as an important milestone.
"The presentation of a four-year strategy based on research into needs in the area is a hugely significant step in the development of a ten-year plan to improve the lives of the children and young people of Ballymun," he said.
Mr Lenihan noted the recently announced Prevention and Early Intervention Programme for Children would run for three years with funding of €36 million, half of which will be provided by Government and half by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
"The Government agreed that the best use of this funding was to focus initially on a small number of projects in severely disadvantaged communities," he said. "My office recently invited three projects to submit the details of their projects for consideration for funding under the Programme, one of which was Youngballymun."
An international panel of experts will assess the applications for funding from the projects, based on criteria agreed by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Government. If the criteria are met, it is likely that funding will commence later this year.