Vol. 562 No. 4
423 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the total funding allocated to local drugs task forces since the beginning of 2001 on a yearly basis; the amount allocated for 2003 to each task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6219/03]
The local drugs task forces, other than Bray which is on its first plan, are implementing their second round of action plans. Over €14.5 million has been allocated to implement the projects in the plans of the 14 task forces since January 2001. Allocations are not made annually but on the basis of the plans as submitted by the task forces. Allocations are made initially to task force projects for a 12 month period, after which projects should be ready for evaluation. Once evaluated, successful projects are mainstreamed, enabling their ongoing provision by statutory agencies. Projects receive interim funding while awaiting decisions on mainstreaming. The procedures I have outlined will continue in 2003. The Deputy should note that in addition to the moneys available under the action plans, funding was provided under the premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects, the majority of which are in local drugs task force areas. Over €11.5 million has been allocated to projects under this initiative to date.
424 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the budget requested by each regional health board to establish and run each regional drugs task force in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6220/03]
Regional drugs task forces are being established in the ten health board regions under the national drugs strategy. The strategy team which is overseeing the establishment of the regional task forces has prepared guidelines for their operation in consultation with the relevant sectors and agencies. The chief executive officers of the health boards have agreed that the existing regional drug co-ordinators will act as interim co-ordinators for the regional drugs task forces. Given their knowledge and experience of the local drug problems and their relationship with local agencies and groups, I believe that the co-ordinators represent a significant resource which will greatly assist the establishment and initial development of the task forces. The aim is to convene the first meeting of each task force by the end of March.
Each health board was allocated €50,000 by the Department of Health and Children in 2002 to help fund the establishment of the regional drugs task forces. There been have no further requests for funding, although health boards are examining the likely costs involved in administering the task forces for the rest of the year. The budget available to the task forces has not yet been finalised, therefore. It is proposed, however, that the task force action plans will be researched and developed in a number of stages. As the task forces will be primarily engaged in consultation and drafting their first action plans over the next year, the bulk of funding required for 2003 will be for administrative purposes. Funding for future years will be considered in the context of the annual Estimates.
