Pat Rabbitte
Question:1 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs last met; and when the next meeting is scheduled. [21336/04]
View answerTuesday, 9 November 2004
Questions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Trevor Sargent
Question:2 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet sub-committees which are currently established under the auspices of his Department; and when each last met. [22463/04]
View answer
Enda Kenny
Question:3 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet sub-committees which have been established under the aegis of his Department; and the number of meetings held by each sub-committee. [24033/04]
View answer
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:4 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs last met; and the date of its next meeting. [24123/04]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:5 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on housing, infrastructure and PPPs last met; and its planned meetings for 2004. [24124/04]
View answer
Tony Gregory
Question:6 Mr. Gregory asked the Taoiseach the dates on which the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs met to date in 2004; and when its next meeting is scheduled. [24374/04]
View answerTrevor Sargent
Question:7 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion on drugs last met. [26385/04]
View answerOral answers (54 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together.
I am circulating in the Official Report a table for the information of Deputies detailing the Cabinet sub-committees established by the Government, the dates they last met, the number of occasions they have met since 6 June 2002, the dates of the next meeting in respect of the Cabinet sub-committees on social inclusion, drugs and rural development; housing, infrastructure and public private partnerships; and the dates of the meetings held in 2004 for the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion, drugs and rural development.
|
Name of Committee |
Date of last meeting |
Number of meetings since 6 June 2002 |
Date of next meeting(s) |
|
Social Inclusion, Drugs and Rural Development* |
20/10/2004 |
21 |
17/11/2004 |
|
Housing, Infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships |
20/10/2004 |
20 |
17/11/2004 and 08/12/2004 |
|
Children |
30/06/2004 |
7 |
— |
|
Health Strategy |
27/10/2004 |
6 |
— |
|
European Affairs |
03/11/2004 |
30 |
— |
|
Information Society |
26/11/2003 |
4 |
— |
|
Asylum, Immigration and Refugee matters |
10/03/2004 |
4 |
— |
|
Decentralisation |
29/03/2004 |
2 |
— |
|
Aer Lingus |
14/07/2004 |
1 |
— |
|
Science, Technology & Innovation |
Recently established |
Will have its first meeting shortly |
— |
*Meetings held in 2004: 28/01/2004; 12/02/2004; 25/02/2004; 26/05/2004; 30/06/2004 and 20/10/2004.
In this area we tend to focus on the drugs issue.
These are statistical questions which refer to Cabinet sub-committees. We do not go into detail on questions on specific subjects.
I want to ask the Taoiseach a question on that issue. In terms of the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs, has the Cabinet taken any measures or focused on the social inclusion aspect?
That does not arise under these seven questions. If the Deputy has a question, it should be submitted to the line Minister.
The only question I have put to the Taoiseach is whether the Cabinet sub-committee on drugs and social inclusion has discussed social inclusion. I submit, with respect, that this is an entirely reasonable question.
All seven of these questions are purely statistical. Deputies cannot ask questions of the Taoiseach which should properly be addressed to line Ministers.
In Question Time for the past month we dealt with precisely the kind of territory in respect of the drugs aspect that the Chair is now ruling out.
Where we have statistical questions, the Chair has continued to rule out supplementary questions, as have my predecessors. This relates to a Cabinet sub-committee.
It is getting even worse.
I appreciate that. The purpose of us putting in a question like that is to use it as a peg upon which to hang questions regarding the substance of the sub-committee.
That is correct. However, questions that relate to Cabinet business have never been allowed in this House and questions that are more appropriate to the line Minister responsible are not appropriate at this Question Time. The Chair has ruled on this many times.
To the best of my knowledge, the Taoiseach is Chairman of this sub-committee. Although I dispute your ruling, with respect, the only question I asked does not impinge on your ruling. I merely asked the Taoiseach whether the Cabinet is focused on the social inclusion aspect of the sub-committee and whether any decisions have been taken in that regard. I find it very difficult, even taking the narrowest view you are taking today on this issue, how you can rule out a question that says, "to ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on drugs and social inclusion last met", and so on. I am merely asking him whether the sub-committee concerned addresses the question of social inclusion separately from the issue of drugs.
The Deputy will accept that the business of Cabinet is confidential and it is not acceptable to ask supplementary questions about what goes on at a Cabinet sub-committee.
I must submit, with great respect, that if you are saying that Cabinet confidentiality inhibits me or any Opposition Deputy asking whether a Cabinet sub-committee designated to deal with social inclusion does in fact do so, then it is time we all went home.
The answer to the question is "yes". Most of the issues in this sub-committee are based around social exclusion and finding means and ways of helping to alleviate the problems that are created in areas where there are difficulties and hardship and where social inclusion means can assist. There is a number of Ministers involved in the Cabinet sub-committee.
In connection with the area we pursued at the last Question Time, is the Taoiseach concerned, as Chairman of this Cabinet sub-committee, about the incidence of drug misuse and abuse outside Dublin? The Taoiseach may recall that at the time the sub-committee was set up, I was the Minister responsible for its establishment and there was no opiates abuse outside the Dublin area——
Again, the Deputy is going outside the scope of the question.
The extent of abuse outside Dublin has trebled since 1998.
That question is more appropriately addressed to the line Minister.
All I am asking the Taoiseach is whether, as Chairman of the sub-committee and as Taoiseach, he is concerned that opiates abuse and drug abuse in general——
This does not arise.
——outside Dublin is on the increase and whether this is a matter that is the focus of the sub-committee about which I am attempting to ask questions.
The answer to that question is "Yes". Over the past year many measures and discussions have taken place in this regard. We considerably extended the programme. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, would be glad to the give the details of that. While hard drugs such as heroin may not be the drugs in question, the efforts, procedures and processes being put in place in the regions are now almost mirroring what is happening in the city.
I will endeavour to abide by the Ceann Comhairle's ruling. The Taoiseach informed the House on 18 May that the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs had met ten times in the previous 12 months. On the basis that the drugs problem has worsened, as has been widely acknowledged, and that the European Commission's joint report on social inclusion ranks Ireland very low in terms of its success in this area, at least in regard to social inclusion, can the Taoiseach indicate whether there has been an increase in the frequency of the meetings of the sub-committee, or whether it has met as often as ten times in the past 12 months? What is the frequency of its meetings? Given that there is an air of confidentiality surrounding the workings of the sub-committee, to which the Ceann Comhairle referred, does the Taoiseach consider there may be a case for the sub-committee not to be within Cabinet, which would enable us to discuss what it deals with given that the issues concerned are of such critical importance?
In all these areas we are dealing with critical issues, particularly in the case of drug abuse. Without going outside the Chair's ruling, I point out that practically all the efforts, resources, commitments, expenditures in respect of this area with which the line Minister is dealing, in this case, the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, have been proactively moved to the regions. He has plans to deal with specific problem areas. I am sure he would be glad to answers questions on this matter. Practically all our work has been to move the focus to the difficult areas and to link them with a specific plan to deal with these difficulties.
The Taoiseach did not indicate the frequency of the sub-committee's meetings.
They are held monthly.
The mid-term review of the 2001-08 national drugs strategy is under way. Is the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs involved in this process, or does the Taoiseach, as chairman of that sub-committee, delegate responsibility to somebody to attend the national drugs strategy review? What is the position on that?
Does the remit of the sub-committee which he chairs extend to dealing with the consequences of driving while under the influence of a substance? Recently there was a horrific case where this happened and which was reported widely in the national newspapers. Does the remit of the sub-committee extend to deal with or make recommendations on the consequences of such behaviour?
On the Deputy's second question, the answer is "No". That matter is under the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and comes under the laws of that Department.
For the information of the House, the terms of reference of the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion are to provide strategic focus in tackling the problems of social exclusion, disadvantage and alienation. The work of the sub-committee encompasses issues ranging from drugs to issues throughout the country. Its agenda ranges across the responsibilities of a large number of Ministers, as guided by the provisions of the programme for Government, Sustaining Progress, the national development plan, the national drugs strategy, to which the Deputy referred, and the national anti-poverty strategy. All the relevant Ministers with responsibility for those areas are involved. Therefore, in reply to the Deputy's first question, the sub-committee monitors and reports on the national drugs strategy.
While I am aware the Taoiseach will not discuss the details of the discussions of the sub-committee, will he indicate whether the alarming rise in the prevalence of cocaine is being addressed by the sub-committee and advise if it will bring forward proposals in that regard?
That is a matter for a line Minister.
If the Taoiseach is disposed to answer, his response will be welcome.
Will the Taoiseach confirm the correct title of the sub-committee on housing, infrastructure and PPP? Sometimes in official notices the housing element of the title is missing. Does this sub-committee have a responsibility in delivering the 10,000 so-called affordable houses promised under the Sustaining Progress agreement? Will the sub-committee address the need to increase the output of social housing to meet the urgent need of the 48,000 household units currently on housing waiting lists throughout the State?
The information requested by Deputy Ó Caoláin will be contained in the answer to the next group of questions. The sub-committee deals with the issues referred to in Questions Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive.
I refer to Question No. 5 which is grouped, for whatever reason, with Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive.
The details are given in the answer to Question No. 8. Deputy Ó Caoláin referred to the spread of all drugs. All issues related to this area are discussed by the sub-committee. Housing matters, which are the responsibility of the cross-departmental infrastructure team, will be dealt with in the answer to the next question.
Will the Taoiseach answer Question No. 5?
Deputy Gregory has submitted a question to the Taoiseach.
Is it the Taoiseach's intention, at a future meeting of this committee, to discuss the recent emergence of the use of crack cocaine in his constituency and in one or two other areas of Dublin? Given the extreme nature of this drug and the huge impact it is likely to have——
Deputy, you may ask a supplementary question on the issues covered by Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive.
Is it the Taoiseach's intention to deal with this issue? Although there have been only one of two instances of the use of this drug the gardaí have made a number of seizures——
These are purely statistical questions.
I accept that, a Cheann Comhairle, but maybe the Taoiseach——
It is not appropriate to have a discussion on the issue.
Does the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform attend meetings of the Cabinet sub-committee? There have been recent differences of opinion between him and the Minister of State with responsibility for drugs. Does the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform keep abreast of policy on the drugs issue? Given, as Deputy Rabbitte has said, that the use of heroin is spreading in urban areas outside Dublin, is the under-resourcing of Garda drugs units in these areas addressed by the sub-committee?
The answer to Deputy Gregory's first question is yes. The committee has discussed recent developments in the use of drugs and will continue to do so. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or one of his Ministers for State always attends meetings of the sub-committee.
There are now Garda drugs teams in every areas. They are no longer only in a limited number of areas. These teams are not part of the committee's work, however. They have been extended by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to all regions. There is a Garda drugs task force in each of the regions.
Has the sub-committee on drugs and social inclusion examined the submissions made to the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy? Will the Taoiseach confirm that the vast majority of those submissions took a negative view of the performance of the strategy to date? Will he indicate the committee's current thinking on this matter?
When two Ministers publicly express opposing opinions on a drug treatment process, as happened recently with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who decides the Government position or is that resolved by the Cabinet sub-committee on drugs and social inclusion? It is unfortunate to have two polarised positions abroad.
Has the sub-committee discussed the fact that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the lack of stability in funding, resources, personnel and the ability to progress projects for the local drugs task force——
The Deputy has made his point. These questions are statistical.
——particularly because of the absence of RAPID funding? Are any steps being taken to ensure the local drugs task force can operate effectively?
As regards the first question, obviously the national drugs strategy is monitored. The Deputy should table a question to the Minister. It is not the case that there is a poor return in that area. An enormous amount has been achieved in this regard. The strategy has been extended beyond the original 13 regions to include many others, the details of which are available. The Cabinet cleared the national drugs strategy, so the stated policy in that regard is Government policy.
Not alone are resources available for the 13 original regions but resources are also being extended. The capital resources, which include most of the capital building programme, are also being rolled out. The next wave of proposals is currently before the Minister who will provide details when answering questions that have been tabled on that matter.
Will the Taoiseach give an undertaking to the House that at the next meeting of this sub-committee, or such a meeting in the near future, he will have discussed the absence of any harm-reduction programmes to deal with this issue outside Dublin? In that context, the health research board has recently made certain startling findings.
Did I hear the Taoiseach say that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is always in attendance at these meetings? Does the Taoiseach not agree that the issue raised by Deputy Costello goes to the heart of this matter in the minds of many experts, in other words, the question of needle exchange that was the subject of difference between both Ministers?
I will raise with both Ministers the issue the Deputy referred to about putting it on the agenda for the next or a future meeting of the sub-committee. I have no difficulty in doing so.
I stated that either the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or one of his Ministers of State attends those meetings. The issue of policy is outlined in the drugs strategy, which includes the issues referred to by Deputy Rabbitte. They are an accepted part of the programme that works at least as effectively as is possible in this area.
Will the Taoiseach advise the House whether or not the equal opportunities child care programme falls within the remit of the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion and drugs? Given the sub-committee's focus on social inclusion, is there such a dimension?
No, it is not within the sub-committee's remit.