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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 3

Written Answers. - National Drugs Strategy.

Ivor Callely

Question:

15 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the gaps or deficiencies which have been identified in the Dublin region regarding the national drugs strategy; the revised strategies or new arrangements which have been put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22311/01]

Jack Wall

Question:

18 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the information which is available to him on the extent of the problem of drug abuse in rural areas; the steps he is taking to deal with the drugs problems in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22327/01]

Brendan Howlin

Question:

22 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress made to date regarding the implementation of the new national drugs strategy launched on 10 May 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22326/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 18 and 22 together.

The new national drugs strategy, launched in May of this year, aims to tackle the drugs problem in the most comprehensive way ever undertaken in this country. The strategy contains 100 individual actions, under the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research. These actions will be taken by a range of different Departments and agencies who will drive the strategy forward.

The strategy is the result of a year-long review carried out by my Department in conjunction with the Interdepartmental Group on Drugs – IDG – and the national drugs strategy team – NDST. While the review group recognised that much remains to be done, it also felt that there are encouraging signs of progress in recent years, which suggest that the current approach to tackling the drug problem is proving to be effective. Accordingly, it concluded that the current approach including the work of the 12 local drugs task forces in the Dublin area, provides a solid foundation to build on for the next seven years. Consequently, the new strategy endorses the existing approach and expands on and strengthen the pillars and principles which underpin it.
In particular, the strategy recommended, that, in addition to the existing 14 local drugs task forces, regional drugs task forces be established. These task forces will be set in every health board area by the end of the year, including the three area health boards that comprise the Eastern Regional Health Authority. 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 their regions.
The interdepartmental group on drugs and the national drugs strategy team will set up an evaluation framework to measure progress under the national drugs strategy. I chair the interdepartmental groups 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. A progress report on the implementation of the strategy will be presented to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion every six months.
The Departments involved must meet the targets set out in the strategy, and are actively working towards achieving these targets. The first progress report is due in December next.
In addition, all Departments and agencies involved in the strategy have to prepare a critical implementation path. This will set out the steps they propose to take to ensure that the actions set for them in the strategy are met. These plans are due by the end of the year.
As regards the setting up of regional drugs task forces, a series of ten regional seminars were held by my Department and the NDST 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 still cannabis and ecstasy and that heroin use is still an overwhelmingly Dublin phenomenon. The most recently available figures from the central treatment list show that 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 increas ingly aware through informal contacts with the gardaí and health board that pockets of heroin use are developing in a number of towns throughout the country.
This is of great concern and I expect the RDTFs to 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 the gaps in services in their areas.
For further information on the conclusions of the review and the recommendations of the strategy, I will forward a copy of the strategy to each of the Deputies.
Questions Nos. 16 and 17 answered with Question No. 8.
Question No. 18 answered with Question No. 15.
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