asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the Government's commitment to tackle drug abuse and to provide proper treatment facilities; and the estimated cost of this programme in 1982.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drug Abuse Programme.
15.
As far as my Department are concerned, the action taken to deal with the drug problem is concentrated on the adoption of preventive measures and the provision of essential treatment.
In the preventive sphere the implementation of the Health Education Bureau's drug education programme will be intensified in the coming months. On 26 April I announced that I was making an additional £250,000 available to the bureau to enable it to undertake an urgent national programme of counselling and preventive education aimed primarily at parents. The programme will involve the training by the bureau of teachers, doctors, pharmacists, career guidance counsellors, health board personnel, Garda and clergy as drug educators to operate extensively throughout the community and particularly in schools. Through this approach we can best inform parents of the nature and extent of the problem and enable them to help their children to avoid becoming involved in drug abuse. Also, parents with a child who has a drug problem will be in a position to react early and appropriately, organising suitable treatment and support.
There is also a need to educate and alert young people directly to the dangers of drug abuse. To this end the Health Education Bureau, with the co-operation of the Department of Education, have devised material on all forms of substance abuse for second level school children. This is being tested in selected schools at present and will be extended to all second level schools later in the year.
The operation of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, is also being reviewed by my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Justice.
With regard to treatment facilities, my Department are in consultation with the Eastern Health Board about the range of services for drug abusers available in the Dublin area with a view to identifying any further measures that may be necessary. I am unable at this stage to indicate the likely cost of these measures.
I thank the Minister for the details involved. Would he not agree that at present there is a very serious lack of co-ordination between his Department and the Department of Justice with regard to the tackling of this problem? Would he not further agree that the additional £250,000 is merely a pittance, compared with what is actually needed for a full campaign of education against the dangers of drug abuse? Does he not feel that the time has now arrived for a major national campaign under some Government agency, to begin to control this most serious national problem?
The measures being taken by the present Government are very comprehensive. There is very good co-ordination between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health in this respect. With regard to the additional £250,000, as far as the programme is concerned it will immediately have a direct impact on educating the educators, if you like, in this area. It is quite a substantial initial amount and the Health Education Bureau have been particularly pleased to have these funds available for that area. That is all that I can say.
Could the Minister ensure that the work of the Health Education Bureau is constantly assessed so that he will know that the money being spent is being put to good use? Would he keep the House informed of this in future?
The Health Education Bureau have recently reviewed their work and objectives very comprehensively. The funds will be spent on specific problems. The bureau have taken a new orientation in their work, which is a very good and specific one. The Deputy can be satisfied that it will be in the direction for which he hopes.
Would the Minister ask the Health Education Bureau to send any documentation or literature they have on the drug problem to Members of the House who express themselves interested in receiving it?
I will certainly ask the Health Education Bureau to do this. Last evening the Asthma Society of Ireland launched a very interesting booklet and I asked the society to circulate it to Members of the House so that they will be kept fully informed, as I know Members come across these problems in their constituency clinics. I am quite happy to follow the suggestion made by Deputy Briscoe.