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National Drugs Strategy.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2004

Tuesday, 9 November 2004

Questions (15)

Damien English

Question:

77 Mr. English asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will significantly increase funding and adequately resource the regional drugs task forces in 2005, in view of the growing evidence of the spread of drugs, particularly opiates, in the regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28180/04]

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Oral answers (7 contributions)

The national drugs strategy provides for the establishment of ten regional drugs task forces. These task forces are mapping out the patterns of drug misuse in their areas and also the range and level of existing services with a view to better co-ordination and addressing gaps in the overall provision. A sum of €500,000 has been provided by my Department in the current year for administrative and technical assistance costs incurred by the task forces in the preparation of their plans.

The work being undertaken will, when complete, feed into the drafting of regional action plans which will then be assessed by the national drugs strategy team. The nature of the drug problems in the task forces' areas and the gaps in existing services will be reflected in the action plans that are being developed. I hope all this work can be completed by early 2005 and that I will then be in a position to bring recommendations on the funding of the plans to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion for approval.

The Deputy will appreciate that the Estimates process for 2005 is ongoing. However, I expect the regional drugs task forces to be in a position to begin the implementation of their plans during 2005.

It is worth noting that the Department of Health and Children, which has overall responsibility for addiction services, reports that overall 7,091 people were receiving methadone treatment at the end of August 2004. This represents a 40% increase over a four-year period.

With regard to the prevalence of drug misuse in the regions, the Deputy should note that a recent report by the Health Research Board showed that the numbers in treatment for heroin use outside the Eastern Regional Health Authority region, as opposed to the overall prevalence rate, have increased significantly. The best available figures on overall levels of use outside the ERHA region are those produced by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs last year, which estimated that there are approximately 12,400 opiate users in Dublin and 2,200 opiate users outside Dublin, although many of these users are in counties Wicklow and Kildare, which are in the ERHA region.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

In general, treatment services in the regions have followed a similar pattern to that observed in the ERHA region when treatment availability was expanded therein. Existing users are much more likely to come forward and present for treatment as it becomes more available, accessible and attractive. Accordingly, as the services have expanded, so have the numbers in treatment. I am sure the Deputy will agree that this is a positive development as it indicates that services are meeting an existing demand. Tackling the drug problem remains a priority for this Government and it is my intention that significant resources will continue to be targeted at the problem on a countrywide basis.

I am afraid the Minister of State's answer was more of the same, especially his contention that the task forces are mapping out their plans and strategy. Will he make a commitment today to provide money in the forthcoming Estimates to fund the plans that are expected to be implemented early in 2005?

For the past year or more, I have listened to comments to the effect that plans are being mapped out. We have our heads in the sand like ostriches. The Minister of State is charged with responsibility for the drugs task forces. Is he happy that they have not submitted their plans? He could not be happy and he should order them to submit them. The plans have not been submitted because the task force cannot afford to give them to us — €50,000 to draw up a strategy and a plan to deal with the whole drugs issue. The Minister of State also said the number of people on treatment has increased. The task force is about preventative measures too, so that treatment will not be needed. We are half way through the 2001-08 drugs strategy and we have gone backwards with regard to the numbers. Will the Minister admit that the policy has failed? The Minister should now agree to provide sufficient funding in this year's budget to deal with the issue, not a miserable €50,000 for the task force. I do not want to ask the same question next June after the task force has submitted its plan, and hear the Minister say it was too late to get money in the budget because the Estimates were drawn up six months earlier. That will not be good enough. The money must be provided now to facilitate the plans. The task force needs to be driven forward to find solutions to the problem.

The first thing the members of the new regional drugs task force did when it was set up was to get to know one another and examine the services available within the region. There is no point submitting plans and seeking extra funding without carrying out an analysis of the services available and the resources needed and so on.

I asked about funding in this year's Estimates.

The Deputy asked a question and I am telling him the situation. No plan has been submitted from the ten regions. The plan from the Deputy's region is due within the next couple of weeks. The time scale for receiving all ten plans is next April. The plans will be assessed as they come in to see if the ideas are relevant. I will bring the findings to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion and I expect they will be approved in the spring. I expect the plans will be in place from summer to autumn, depending on when we receive them. We must go through the proper process. Setting up and funding the plans was a key part of the strategy and this is happening.

On the wider issue to which the Deputy referred, the mid-term review is taking place. If the Deputy or any other group has views on the matter, we will take them on board. Life is not perfect, but we are doing a significant amount of good work.

The Minister of State cannot be happy with the progress to date. I do not blame him completely for what is happening because it took three years to set up the task forces. The key question is whether funding will be provided in the Estimates to fund the plans. The Minister of State did not guarantee that the plans will be funded. There was no problem finding €50,000 for the Aislinn group because an election was about to take place. If there was an election next year would money be provided for these groups?

The Aislinn group received funding through the health board. I cannot announce the Estimates today, that will happen in the coming weeks. The plans will come in. So far none of the plans from the ten regions have come in. I am confident they will be approved and that the task forces will be up and running next year.

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