Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 6

Written Answers. - Drugs Task Forces.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

130 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the widespread concern among the local drugs task forces about the absence of representation of his Department on the task forces in view of the rate of educational disadvantage in the drugs culture; and the immediate steps, if any, he will take to ensure that his Department is represented at senior level on each of the task forces. [3312/00]

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

429 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will nominate a representative of his Department to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown local drugs task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3232/00].

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 429 together.

The question of Department of Education and Science representation on the local drugs task forces has been under consideration in my Department for some time.

I fully accept that education issues and, in particular, tackling educational disadvantage and early school leaving, are of concern in many drugs task force areas. These core issues, which have been well documented by the ESRI and other agencies as key factors affecting the life chances of disadvantaged communities, are also of concern to the 38 area based partnerships operating under the local and urban development programme. Tackling educational disadvantage has also emerged as a critical issue in the four pilot integrated services process areas, which correspond to a number of local drugs task force areas.

My Department is already represented on the education and training sub-committees of each area based partnership by a Department inspector or psychologist. In addition, my Department has provided resources for the appointment of full-time and part-time education co-ordinators to support the work of partnerships in addressing educational disadvantage and preventing early school leaving. Virtually all of these partnerships correspond to the local drugs task force areas. Notwithstanding the aims and objectives of the partnerships and the local drugs task forces the educational issues for both agencies are essentially the same and the obvious way to address these issues is for the local drugs task forces, the education and training sub-committees of the relevant partnerships and the four pilot integrated services process areas to establish links and contacts at local level.

In this context my Department has had discussions with Area Development Management Limited about nominating the partnership education co-ordinators as my Department's representatives on the local drugs task forces. ADM has advised that the education co-ordinators are very well placed to undertake this role and that it would provide a useful co-ordination at local level between partnerships and local drugs task forces.

I will shortly be arranging for the partnership education co-ordinators to be nominated as representatives of my Department on the local drugs task forces. I am satisfied this arrangement will give the local drugs task forces a specific forum in which education issues of concern to them can be addressed. Such close links between these agencies would also ensure the best use of State resources flowing into the targeted communities.