Vol. 481 No. 7
186 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to continue the fight against drugs particularly with regard to treatment and prevention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17275/97]
The Government is committed to continuing with implementing the recommendations of the ministerial task force reports. This will involve the Eastern Health Board expanding its range of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services, the implementation of proposals from task forces in the 13 designated areas and the further development of services by health boards outside Dublin.
The priority of this Government is not only to tackle the drugs problem, as mainfested in the numbers of drug misusers in need of treatment and rehabilitation, but also to address the underlying causes of the problem. In pursuance of this strategy, the Government has reconstituted the Cabinet Drugs Committee into a wider Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs — including Local Development — to reflect the fact that drug abuse is a symptom of a wider problem of social and economic exclusion. This committee will pull together the various strategies to combat social exclusion, and resultant problems such as drug abuse, into a co-ordinated, targeted response.
In addition the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation has been assigned responsibility for the national drug strategy team and will report directly to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion on Drugs.
