Vol. 517 No. 6
385 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will provide grant aid from the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund to enable an organisation (details supplied) in County Wexford to fund its recently launched addiction support services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10823/00]
While the use of illicit drugs is a nationwide problem, the young people's facilities and services fund has focused primarily on the areas experiencing the highest levels of drug misuse in Dublin and Cork city, the local drugs task force areas, and on other selected urban areas where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop, such as Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Bray and Carlow.
Over the past number of years, the focus of the national drugs strategy, of which the young people's facilities and services fund is part, has been on tackling the heroin problem, in view of its public health implications and close association with crime. However, funding is also available to a range of State agencies, including the health boards, to respond to the drug problem outside the local drugs task force areas. This funding is available to the agencies not only to deliver their own plans, but also to enable them to support community and voluntary groups in responding to the problems in their areas.
In the case of the South Eastern Health Board region, I understand that the regional health board's co-ordinating committee on drugs has established local co-ordinating committees in each community care area, including Wexford, with representation from relevant agencies and local interests, including the Wexford area partnership company, to develop a local integrated response to the drug problem. I would suggest that the partnership proposal should be considered in this context in the first instance.
I have also initiated a review of the overall national drugs strategy. The review will examine the extent and nature of the drug problem throughout the country, with a view to recommending any necessary changes to the current strategy before year end.
