Vol. 511 No. 4
26 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when the local drugs task forces have been asked to submit their new action plans; when they will receive the results of the two year evaluation currently being conducted by the national drugs strategy team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21603/99]
An independent evaluation of the local drugs task forces was completed towards the end of last year. On foot of the generally positive findings of the evaluation, the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs approved the continuation of the task forces for a further two year period on the basis of an evaluation framework being put in place which would allow the initiative to be measured in terms of impact and outcomes in due course.
I am interested in the Minister's phrase "in due course". There seems to be a lack of clarity in terms of what local task forces are supposed to be doing. They have completed their first two year plan. Will the Minister of State accept that it is unsatisfactory to put task forces in a position where they are asked to produce new plans without having received any evaluation of the first plan from the Minister or from the Taoiseach's Department? They have been told that successful projects will be mainstreamed. Will the Minister of State explain his intention in that regard because many task forces are unsure about the continuation of the mainstream services or what they should include in their new plan. Will the Minister clarify that point?
I assure the Deputy that the issue of lack of clarity has no basis in my management of the local drugs task force process. The local drugs task forces are clear about their role. In the context of additional responsibilities we assigned to the task forces, we have submitted revised terms of reference to each local drugs task force and such has been the confidence of the Government in the process, we allocated £15 million to the local drugs task forces in August and requested that they draw up revised and additional plans to augment those already in place. I suggest to the Deputy that indicates the Government's commitment to the local drugs task forces project and that it is clear what we expect them to do. Based on the evaluation of the local drugs task force process already carried out, and the positive feedback from that evaluation, the Government decided to continue with the process for a number of years.
I would welcome some specific replies to my question. The Minister mentioned revised plans from the task forces. When do those revised plans have to be submitted to the Department? More importantly, when will the evaluation of the first two year plan be completed for each of the task forces? I am speaking as a member of two drugs task forces and I am aware that the lack of clarity extends to all task forces because they meet on a regular basis. They are not sure where they stand on the Government's position on what has been achieved to date. When will the Government decide on when services currently provided by task forces will be mainstreamed? I would like specific information on the dates. By what date do the revised plans have to be submitted and when will the Government evaluation be completed?
I am amazed to hear from the Deputy that there is confusion, lack of clarity or misunderstanding on the part of the local drugs task forces.
There is.
If there is, the chairpersons or the co-ordinators of the task forces are not conveying that to me. I meet them regularly. I meet these people when I visit Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Tallaght, the south inner city, the north inner city—
Give us the answers.
—and they do not say they do not know what they are supposed to be doing—
There will not be any time left for the Minister to give us the answers.
Let the Minister of State reply.
Let me answer. The Deputy has made a serious charge that there is some confusion, lack of clarity or lack of direction to the local drug task forces.
Give us the answers please.
It is only fair to the local drugs task forces, and particularly to the community representatives on those task forces, to say that they know exactly what they are doing. Such is the confidence of the Government in what they are doing, we have allocated additional funding.
The Minister should tell us. We want the information.
We must proceed to Question No. 27.
With regard to the revised plans, the Deputy will be glad to hear that we have told the local drugs task forces to bring those forward in their own time.
In their own time?
Correct. As a member of a local drugs task force, Deputy Shortall should know what that means.
Nonsense.
I must remind the House that when dealing with ordinary questions, supplementary questions and the replies are subject to a limit of one minute. There is only time for a brief supplementary from Deputy Shortall.
Given that the Minister of State has taken up all the time, I would ask him to supply the information I have requested in written form before the end of today's business.
I will certainly provide it in written form but I would invite the Deputy, who is a member of a local drugs task force—
I just want the information, not waffle.
—to meet me to discuss these issues without giving out misinformation—
Give us clear information.
—and criticising the work of the local drugs task forces.
Nonsense. The Minister is waffling.
The Deputy should be ashamed.
I call Question No. 27.
