Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 3

Written Answers. - Substance Misuse.

Jack Wall

Question:

449 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding available from his Department in grants for support groups or organisations which organise seminars, courses and lectures highlighting the illegal use of substances such as drugs and the problems in regard to alcohol abuse in primary schools, secondary schools or third level; if his attention has been drawn to the cost to the providers of such courses including booklets, flyers and videos; if he will initiate such a funding scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6751/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Drugs awareness programmes have been introduced into 94% of primary and 75% of post-primary schools through the Walk Tall and On my Own Two Feet programmes. Up to 3,000 schools at primary level have received detailed educational resource materials and a comprehensive in-career development programme for Walk Tall. In the case of On my Own Two Feet, more than 1,650 teachers from 570 post-primary schools received resource materials and were trained to implement the programme.

It is intended that every primary school will incorporate substance misuse prevention programmes in the broad context of social, personal and health education – SPHE – which is now part of the primary school curriculum, by September 2003. Since September 2000, SPHE, including substance misuse prevention, is being phased in to all schools at junior cycle over a three year period. This is being done in partnership with health promotion personnel in health boards.

The youth affairs section of my Department, in partnership with the Department of Health and Children and the National Youth Council of Ireland, funds the national youth health programme on an annual basis. The programme aims to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion-education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in the non-formal education sector. This work is achieved through the development of programmes and interventions specifically for, and with, youth organisations throughout the country and the training and support of workers and volunteers implementing these programmes. Many of these programmes relate to drug and alcohol education programmes. The programme received £56,000 from the Department in 2001 and the allocation for 2002 has not yet been finalised.

The youth affairs section also funds the No Name Club on an annual basis. This national youth organisation was formed specifically to enable young people to socialise in an alcohol free environment. The No Name Club received £79,610 from the Department in 2001; the allocation for 2002 has yet to be finalised. The youth affairs section of my Department also funds several organisations who have as part of their programmes, substance abuse awareness programmes.

Funding in respect of 36 mainstreamed local drugs task force projects was transferred to my Department from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation from 1 January 2001 following evaluation by the National Drugs Strategy Team. The evaluation included agreement on the level of annual funding required for each project. The mainstreamed projects include a small number related to groups which provide drug awareness courses. Applications for increases in funding from these projects are considered by the Department in the normal way during the annual Estimates process.