Vol. 544 No. 1
119 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress made to date regarding implementation of the new national drugs strategy launched on 10 May 2001; the progress which has been made regarding the extension of the drugs task forces to the regions; the role he envisages for area based partnerships in driving these task forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27885/01]
The new national drugs strategy, launched in May last, aims to tackle the drug 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 implemented by a range of different Departments and agencies which will drive the strategy forward.
I chair the interdepartmental group on drugs (IDG), 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 first progress report is due next month. In addition, all Government Departments and agencies involved in the strategy must prepare critical implementation paths. These 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.
Amongst the actions recommended in the strategy is that regional drugs task forces be established throughout the country. These task forces are due to be set up 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 the secretariat will be provided by the relevant health board. They will be responsible for putting in place a strategy to tackle drug misuse specifically for their regions.
A series of 10 regional seminars were held by my Department and the national drugs strategy team (NDST) to provide information on the strategy and to lay the foundations for the setting up of the regional drugs task forces. In this context, it should be noted that the NDST are currently drafting guidelines for the new task forces. Representatives of the area based partnerships will be invited to sit on the regional drugs task forces and I expect them to play an important part in their ongoing work.
Question No. 120 answered with Question No. 78.
Question No. 121 answered with Question No. 113.
