Vol. 510 No. 1
6 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the number of occasions on which the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs has met this year; the last occasion on which the committee met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17763/99]
7 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs has met since 29 September 1999. [20749/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
The Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion has met eight times so far this year. The last meeting was on Thursday, 21 October. The next meeting is scheduled for 17 November. The committee generally meets on a monthly basis.
Will the Minister outline to the House the number of recommendations from the first and second reports of the ministerial task force on drugs which have been implemented to date and the balance of recommendations which have yet to be implemented?
The principal recommendations have largely been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. These relate to extablishing and evaluating local drugs task forces, which has been completed and has been very positive. The Government took a decision to continue in that manner in dealing with the misuse of drugs. A committee of which I am chairman is currently considering the establishment of the national drugs advisory committee. We hope to bring a proposal to Government at our meeting in December. Therefore, in general the principal recommendations either have been or are in the course of being implemented.
Will the Minister outline the specific recommendations contained in the first and second reports of the ministerial task force which have yet to be implemented? In relation to the geographical location of social deprivation and the link with drugs, is the Minister of State in a position to tell the House whether the information garnered in the work of the committee to date would justify a broadening of the strategy to include other urban areas at this stage?
No particular recommendations which have not been fully implemented come to mind, but I and my officials will trawl through the reports and I will send the Deputy details of any specific recommendations which remain to be implemented. However, I am not aware of any which have not been implemented or which are not in the process of being implemented.
Regarding the work of the committee and the question of extending its remit, particularly in the area of drugs, we have taken a decision to extend the local drugs task force system through a recent decision to establish a new local drugs task force in the Bray area and by utilising funds from the young people's facilities and services fund to support other projects relative to fighting the misuse of drugs in a number of areas, particularly urban areas around the country. Some of these which come to mind relate to Cork, Limerick, Athlone, Carlow and Bray.
We have also funded a number of national organisations which have an ability to participate in the fight against the misuse of drugs through reaching young people. Accordingly, we have funded organisations such as the National Youth Federation, the YMCA, ECO, the Irish Girl Guides and the Catholic Youth Council. There are a number of other national organisations which we will consider later on.
The Deputy is correct in drawing attention to the fact that there is a constant need to expand the remit of the committee and to provide funding to other areas outside those which have been devastated by the misuse of hard drugs, particularly heroin.
I wish to ask one supplementary question—
I would point out that these questions relate only to meetings. We are broadening the scope—
—in relation to a street war which took place between a proscribed organisation and drug godfathers in this city in recent times and whether that issue is in the purview of his committee. I would like the Minister's views on this and ask him if he has had discussions with the Garda Commissioner on the involvement of subversive organisations in the drugs trade in the city and country.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, is a member of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs and has considerable responsibility for the efforts of the Government and society in general in reducing the supply of drugs. Consequently from time to time he makes significant contributions to the committee. I would be very concerned about the outcome of the incident referred to by the Deputy. I am happy to see the Garda Síochána is making progress in dealing with some people who were allegedly involved in that serious incident.
I have noted the Minister's earlier replies. However, I wish to rephrase an earlier question. Can the Minister tell us whether the committee has discussed the very serious problem of the spread of heroin and other hard drugs outside the greater Dublin area and what measures are being implemented to combat this? Is the Minister aware of the very grave con cern of communities in rural and small town Ireland where there have been a number of deaths, including in my own constituency? Will he agree that a concerted effort by all the statutory and voluntary bodies, our education system and the Garda is necessary to prevent a problem of Dublin proportions spreading throughout the country? Will the Minister raise with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the need for an urgent investigation into the issues arising from a recent court case involving a Dublin drug dealer who was acquitted on charges of importing heroin worth £1 million after the jury heard that the importation had been at the behest of his garda handlers—
It is not in order to raise questions relevant to court decisions.
—and that the garda in question had struck out charges against the defendant without informing the DPP?
The Deputy is now going completely outside the scope of these questions.
I do not agree with the Ceann Comhairle.
I have to rule the Deputy out of order.
I am afraid I cannot agree with the Chair's ruling.
It is the ruling of the Chair.
It is a very serious matter that must be addressed in the House.
The matter is not relevant to these questions and it is not a matter to which the Deputy should refer.
We are talking about public confidence in the—
Statements casting aspersions on the courts are not permitted in this House.
I hope the Minister will respond to my question.
It would not be in order for the Minister to respond.
The Deputy expressed concern for citizens of the State regarding the spread of the misuse of drugs outside the areas we are familiar with, something we are all concerned about. However, I remind the Deputy that the national drugs strategy and the associated team was established to tackle the areas hardest hit, particularly by the abuse of heroin and with particular reference to health issues associated with heroin abuse. We are very conscious that so-called soft drugs are obtainable in any place in Ireland and accordingly we have taken a number of initiatives, some of which I mentioned earlier in reply to Deputy Howlin in relation to funding national and regional organisations. Local health boards are very much involved in the fight against drugs through the establishment of drug co-ordinating committees within each health board area. Also, the work of the Garda Síochána in seizing considerable amounts of illicit drugs in recent times is to be applauded. We should call on all communities, regardless of their location, to at all times support the work of the Garda Síochána because with that united effort we will make considerable further progress in seizing illicit drugs. I take this opportunity to compliment the Garda Síochána on its success to date.
I wish to ask a very brief supplementary.
It must be relevant to the questions.
It is. Accepting that the Minister has taken the Chair's lead, in relation to the issues raised by me, will he affirm to the House that he will bring to the attention of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform this specific case to which I have referred?
I have ruled that matter out of order.
The Minister of State should—
The Deputy should obey the Chair. I ruled that matter out of order.
Is the Minister of State satisfied that local task forces are communicating in a meaningful way with local government structures? What two way processes are in place? One often gets the feeling that many of these task forces and other bodies are operating outside existing structures and the level of information available to elected representatives can be quite scarce. I am not suggesting the task forces are not performing a worthwhile job but it is important and necessary that they are linked into existing structures so elected representatives will be aware of the type of work being done and what is available. There should be ongoing consultation for the benefit of all, as distinct from simply political purposes.
The Deputy raises an important issue which came to my attention when I was assigned this role in July 1997. There appeared to be a gap between local drugs task forces and the political structure, that is, the local authority and Members of this House. I issued instructions some time ago that all local drugs task forces should invite local elected representatives and Members of the Dáil, should they wish to become involved, to join the task forces and that the task forces should adopt, as a matter of policy, a mechanism whereby they could regularly inform local elected representatives about the work in their respective areas.
It is my intention, in consultation with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, and in the context of reform of local government, to move local development and the national drugs strategy closer to local government so the two can operate with a degree of harmony. Most Members of the House would welcome that.
I am pleased the Minister of State concurs with my views on the level of contact. To be honest, I have not seen any great improvement. That is not to contradict the Minister of State or criticise his efforts in this regard. I urge him to be vigilant. It is important that these task forces operate within the structure of local government which is in touch with other local organisations such as football clubs and so forth, as the Minister of State is aware after serving for many years on a local authority.
The Deputy should confine himself to the question.
The work of both organisations, therefore, can go hand in hand. That will deliver greater value for money and better results.
I will raise that matter with the national drugs strategy team.
What was the outcome of the negotiations with the Department of Education and Science? Has the Department agreed to be represented on the drugs task forces? Is the Minister of State aware of any new areas outside Dublin where heroin is becoming a serious problem? It would be a matter of concern to the task force if reports in the media are accurate that areas outside Dublin, that had not previously experienced a heroin problem, are beginning to see such a problem emerge.
I am a member of a task force in my constituency. The task forces are operating very well and are involving local representatives, certainly in my area.
I am happy to confirm that the Department of Education and Science has agreed to formal membership of the local drugs task forces. This is something I have been working on for some time with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science. The vocational education committees have been very much involved not only in task force areas but also in other urban areas by supporting the work of the local drugs task forces and the young peoples' facilities and services funds. We appreciate that commitment. The Department of Education and Science has undertaken to become formally part of the local drugs task forces and that is a positive step.
With regard to concern about the emergence of the use of heroin outside the areas covered by the 14 local drugs task forces, Bray is the area we identified. For that reason we decided to create a new local drugs task force in the Bray area. The process of establishing that task force – funding has already been allocated – is now under way. We constantly monitor other areas for the emergence of a heroin problem. According to Garda Síochána figures which relate to 1998 – I accept that they are a year old – 93 per cent of crimes associated with heroin addiction occurred within the greater Dublin area. However, we are continuously concerned about the possibility of heroin use developing in areas other than those covered by the local drugs task forces. For that reason we continue to expand the role and remit of the national drugs strategy team.
Is the Minister of State aware of recent surveys which indicate that 60 per cent of young people under 24 years of age use cannabis as their social drug of choice? That is higher than the use of alcohol among the same group. Given that the use of such drugs places people in the market for hard drugs as well, will he consider decriminalising the use of cannabis? It is not sustainable to have 60 per cent of the country's young people criminalised.
I will never put forward a proposal that cannabis should be decriminalised. I have considered the arguments on this issue – it is discussed from time to time – and the best advice available is that cannabis can be a gateway to hard drugs, although not in all circumstances. We do not yet know about the long-term effects the constant use of cannabis can have. There are different views on it but there is not yet sufficient information to suggest that the continuous use of cannabis is not a harmful practice. If the Government were to decriminalise the use of cannabis, it would send the wrong signal to young people.
Then it should criminalise cigarettes and alcohol.
That concludes Taoiseach's questions.
