Question:
5 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the impact the National Drug Strategy is having on reducing the consumption of illegal substances outside the Dublin area. [22696/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - National Drug Strategy.
The National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 was launched on 10 May last. It is the result of a year-long review of the existing strategy and involved the largest ever public consultation on drugs policy held in Ireland. The new strategy is the first time all elements of drugs policy been brought together in a single framework. In addition, it clearly assigns responsibility to the different Departments and agencies involved in drugs policy under the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research. Under the strategy, a series of 100 actions have been developed which are designed to drive the strategy forward.
A central part of the strategy is the development of an effective regional framework to implement the policy through the establishment of regional drugs task forces, RDTFs. The new task forces will bring together the relevant statutory, voluntary and community sectors and will be responsible for putting in place a strategy to tackle drug misuse specifically for this region. They will incorporate and expand the work of the current regional drug co-ordinating committees and the secretariat to the RDTFs will be provided by the relevant health boards.
As regards the setting up of regional drugs task forces, a series of ten regional seminars have been held by my Department and the national drug strategy team to provide information on the strategy and to lay the foundations for the setting up of the regional drugs task forces. It is anticipated that the regional drugs task forces will be established by the end of 2001.
Research shows that the main illicit drugs used outside Dublin are cannabis and ecstasy and that heroin use is still overwhelmingly a Dublin problem. The most recently available figures from the Central Treatment List show that 97% of those on methadone treatment reside in the Eastern Regional Health Authority region and that 96% of the arrests for heroin possession take place in Dublin. That said, we are increasingly aware, through informal contacts with the Garda and health boards, that pockets of heroin misuse are developing in a number of towns throughout the country. I am most concerned about these developments and I expect that the RDTFs will play an important role in identifying any increasing incidences in the misuse of heroin and other drugs outside of Dublin as well as developing proposals in their action plans to address gaps in services in their areas. In this way, the RDTFs will ensure that the National Drugs Strategy will have a significant impact in their regions. Measurement and evaluation are important parts of this strategy. This will be achieved in a number of ways. First, I am chairing the interdepartmental group on drugs, which meets monthly to assess progress by Departments and agencies in achieving the targets set out in the strategy. Any obstacle to the implementation of any of the actions can be brought to the attention of the IDG at these meetings. In addition, a progress report on the implementation of the strategy will be presented every six months to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs, which is chaired by the Taoiseach. The first progress report is due in December next.
Furthermore, all Departments and agencies involved in the strategy have to prepare a critical implementation path. This will set out the steps they will take to ensure that the actions set for them in the strategy are implemented. These plans are due by the end of the year. A report on progress made in implementing the various actions will be published annually and the Deputy should also note that an independent evaluation of the strategy will be carried out in 2004.
Mr. Coveney
I thank the Minister of State for his quite comprehensive response, as this is a very wide area.
In relation to drugs seizures, there has been a significant increase in the amount and number of seizures this year. Does the Minister of State believe that is because the Garda and the drugs task forces within the Garda have become more efficient or is it because there are simply more drugs on the market? There does not seem to have been a cor responding impact on price or supply of drugs outside the capital.
The drugs strategy review clearly states that by the end of 2001, the local drug task force areas will receive an increased level of Garda resources. Has this happened? Is the Minister concerned that if resources are only increased in local drug task force areas, they will effectively only be increased in Dublin and the north side of Cork? What is his view on the need to increase resources in Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda etc. in which there is clear evidence of significant drug problems? Has there been an increase in manpower or resource levels in the Customs and Excise drug area since the Government took office?
On the issue of prevention, will the Minister acknowledge that different approaches are required to solve the recreational and hard drug problems in the capital, the latter being primarily cocaine and heroin, and does his Department adopt such approaches at present?
The six minutes allocated for this question have expired. I will allow the Minister to make a brief reply.
One of the issues which arose during the public consultation process was the need to increase Garda presence in the local drug task force areas. The first IDG meeting was held earlier this year at which representatives of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform were in attendance. They are currently devising the implementation of the aspects of the strategy to which the Department agreed. When regional task forces are set up to cover areas such as those outlined by the Deputy, which I agree are at risk, they will probably seek increased Garda resources in those areas. The strategy proposes greater co-ordination between the Garda and the Customs and Excise.
Mr. Coveney
I asked a specific question on that issue.
I cannot answer that question off the top of my head. Customs and Excise has received increased resources although I am not certain whether manpower levels have increased. However, I will endeavour to obtain that information and will revert to the Deputy.