Written Answers. - Task Force on Drugs.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:
20
Ms O'Sullivan
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the progress, if any, made to date in implementing the recommendations contained in the two reports produced by the ministerial task force to reduce the demand for drugs; the main recommendations to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7393/99]
In its two reports, the ministerial task force made a series of recommendations across a range of areas to address the problem of the demand for drugs, including the establishment of structures at national and local level to co-ordinate a response to the problem. As the Deputy will be aware, a Cabinet drugs committee, the national drugs strategy team and 13 local drugs task forces were set up arising out of those recommendations.
The national drugs strategy team comprises representatives from relevant Government Departments and agencies, along with two persons who bring the perspectives of the voluntary and community sectors to its work. The team's brief is to ensure effective co-ordination between Departments and agencies in implementing the Government's drugs initiative as well as monitoring developments at local level.
Local drugs task forces were set up in the areas experiencing the most acute drugs problem to develop and implement an integrated response to the drug problem in those areas; and involve local communities in the planning, design and implementation of that response. On assuming office, the present Government, recognising the links between social exclusion, drug misuse and alienation, decided to re-constitute the Cabinet drugs committee into a wider Cabinet committee on social inclusion, which would address disadvantage in the broadest sense. This committee seeks to pull together the various strategies to combat social exclusion – and resultant problems such as drug misuse – into a co-ordinated, targeted response.
Meanwhile, the task forces have prepared action plans, focusing on the development of community based initiatives to link in with and add value to existing or planned drug programmes and services. The Government has allocated £10 million to support implementation of the approved plans which contain over 200 separate projects, approximately 88 per cent of which have, or are, drawing down funding at this point. Following a recent independent evaluation of the initiative, the Cabinet committee on social inclusion agreed, in principle, to the continuation of the local drugs task forces for the time being, on the basis of an appropriate framework being put in place which would enable the initiative to be measured in terms of outcomes and impacts in due course.
Under a separate, complementary initiative, the Government has set up a young peoples' facilities and services fund and committed £30 million in Exchequer funding over the period 1998 – 2000. The purpose of this fund is to develop youth facilities, including sport and recreation facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop, with a view to attracting young people in those areas – at risk of becoming involved in drugs – into more healthy and productive pursuits. Of this Exchequer contribution, £20 million is being targeted at the local drugs task force areas, for which integrated facilities and services plans have been prepared and are currently being assessed by an assessment committee chaired by my Department, which will make recommendations to the Cabinet committee on the allocation of funding to support the implementation of these plans. A decision in this regard is expected very shortly.
There are, as I already mentioned, a range of other recommendations in the two reports. These relate to other Departments and agencies and are being addressed by colleagues within their respective remits.
