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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Dec 1983

Vol. 346 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministerial Task Force on Drug Abuse.

6.

asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken to implement the recommendations of the ministerial task force on drug abuse with particular reference to the proposed urgent discussions with YEA, HEB, and Cospóir concerning priority for high risk areas.

Each member of the Special Governmental Task Force on Drug Abuse has been given responsibility for ensuring that the recommendations relevant to them are implemented without any undue delay. The task force meets at regular intervals to monitor progress made.

Progress has been made to date with the introduction of the new Criminal Justice Bill, the more rigorous checking of applications for passports by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the development of video films and other educational materials by the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Health Education Bureau, for use within the context of "life skills" type programmes in second level schools, in youth clubs and with parent groups.

Officers of my own Department have already met representatives of the board of St. James's Hospital to discuss the provision of a bed facility for the treatment of drug abusers. They have also met representatives of Jervis Street Hospital about the development of facilities there. A meeting also took place with representatives of the Eastern Health Board and Coolmine Therapeutic Community to discuss the provision of a suitable therapeutic model for the treatment of drug abusers from socially and educationally deprived backgrounds — particularly those in the 12-16 age group. These recommendations are being actively pursued.

The task force have also met representatives of the Medico-Social Research Board and the Youth Employment Agency to discuss how both organisations might contribute in implementing the recommendations relevant to them. Both organisations are currently preparing detailed work programmes for the task force which will be ready in the coming weeks. Meetings with the Health Education Bureau and Cospóir, and indeed with the other organisations mentioned in the Government press statement will be arranged within the next few weeks.

I would like to assure the Deputy that there will be no undue delay in the implementation of the recommendations.

I should like to thank the Minister for his detailed reply. The question relates particularly to the urgency which was expressed in the Minister's statement announcing the recommendations of the task force when he pinpointed a number of places as high-risk areas. One of those was the Ballymun area. Has the Minister received any proposals from the bodies mentioned, the Youth Employment Agency and the Health Education Bureau, relating specifically to Ballymun or to the inner city area or to the Dún Laoghaire ward, all of which are high-risk areas?

The meeting with Cospóir and with the National Youth Policy Committee are due to take place this month, while the meetings with the Youth Employment Agency have taken place already. I will be keeping a very close eye on the situation. I have received a number of progress reports but in the first instance these are being sent to the task force. I assure the Deputy that the areas mentioned by him as well as parts of Cork and Limerick will receive special attention in the context of the proposals.

Will the Minister refer the recent RTE programme on this whole issue to the ministerial task force and ask them particularly to institute a follow-up to the frightening situation as revealed on that programme? Is the Minister prepared also to draw to the attention of his colleague, the Minister for Justice, the revelations of that programme concerning the apparent activity of illegal organisations in many of the areas mentioned? The activities of these organisations, as revealed on that programme, are frightening. It is a matter that the Minister ought to raise formally with the Minister for Justice.

Those are separate questions. Question No. 6 asks whether the Minister intends implementing certain recommendations.

I am asking about the ministerial task force in which the Minister for Justice has an input.

That may be so but the question on the Order Paper refers to a report. The Deputy seems to be raising other matters.

I have received various progress reports. The members of the task force are very much aware of the programme in question. The Minister for Justice, too, is acutely aware of the efforts of criminal subversive organisations to exploit the situation. I urge that residents' associations, particularly in the greater Dublin area, should not succumb to the deliberate manipulation of the problem by these subversive groups, notably the Provisional IRA, whether by way of initiating the problem or of attempting allegedly to control it. These are groups who are masquerading on the basis of democracy.

Would the Minister bring to the attention of the ministerial task force the need to ensure uniformity of sentencing in respect of the prosecution and conviction of people involved in drug trafficking? In their further work, the ministerial task force might examine the need for such uniformity and recommend publicly that those engaged in drug trafficking, be they Irish nationals or otherwise, serve prison sentences. We must ensure that those people are not treated differently by virtue of their nationality.

I would remind Deputies that Question No. 6 which deals with a report from the task force cannot be taken as an opportunity for an across-the-board discussion on drugs.

Perhaps the Minister would indicate whether the task force will deal with the problem of sentencing.

This House has no function in the practice of sentencing. Only this morning I ruled out a question on this matter.

The Minister has referred to discussions that are taking place with the Coolmine therapeutic centre regarding the provision of a residential centre for heroin addicts from socially deprived areas. This is one of the recommendations of the task force. Is there any time scale in respect of the establishment of such a centre?

The main centre that I have visited is the one that I opened officially is St. Martha's which is run by the Coolmine regime. I have been deeply impressed by the work done at St. Martha's particularly in terms of the therapeutic model there. The task force are considering the prospect of future developments in that area. The Minister of State at my Department who is the Chairman of the task force is working directly and actively on this whole matter. I would point out to Deputy Shatter particularly that a number of matters being dealt with are of a confidential nature, involving the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice, and that a lot of action is taken to which we cannot allude in the House.

I will allow a final supplementary on this question.

In view of the fact that Ballymun has been designated a high-risk area and since there is already a community-based group there providing counselling and advice to drug addicts in the area, a service that is proving very successful, would the Minister consider making available funding for a full-time co-ordinator as requested by this group so that their work might be extended?

I have a particular view in that regard and it is that work of this nature can be done under the general auspices of the Eastern Health Board. I am reluctant to have ad hoc groups working separately and independently in this very sensitive and critical area, an area which has substantial security connotations. The funds available for such groups will be channelled through the Eastern Health Board on the recommendation of the task force. I stress that the task force will be given broad policy guidelines in relation to the work to be done by the health board in their own areas. I have received some moneys from Government for next year in respect of this type of work.

Question No. 7.

Arising from the reply——

I would remind Deputies that they were on the last supplementary question so we cannot have any question arising from a final supplementary.

——would the Minister not consider that in view of the response the group in Ballymun are receiving, they should be assisted and encouraged to develop their activities? Having regard to the subversive type of response that is developing in other areas to these matters, surely the group I am talking of should be given every assistance possible.

The answer is positively yes but when the funds are made available through the health board, we are enabled to have constant monitoring and control over what is happening.

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