The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is the lead Department in tackling the problem of drug abuse as it co-ordinates the implementation of the National Drug Strategy across the four pillars of supply reduction, treatment, education-prevention and research. My Department and its associated agencies are mainly concerned with supply reduction. In that context, I am informed by the Garda authorities that there has been no noticeable increase in the incidence of abuse of controlled drugs in the north-eastern region. That does not imply any complacency in the matter. Drug law enforcement is a high priority in the region and a number of successful operations targeting known suppliers of illicit drugs have been conducted this year.
To ensure that a more co-ordinated response is in place to tackle the problem of drug misuse across the country, the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 provides for the establishment of ten regional drug task forces, or RDTFs. I understand from my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, that all of these task forces, including the north-eastern RDTF, are currently mapping out the nature and extent of drug misuse in their areas with a view to better co-ordination and addressing gaps in overall service provision.
In this context, €500,000 has been provided by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the current year for administrative and technical assistance costs incurred by the ten RDTFs in the preparation of their regional action plans. These plans will be completed by early 2005 and recommendations on the funding of the plans will then be brought to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion for approval.
The Department of Health and Children has primary responsibility for tackling the problem of alcohol abuse. The Minister for Health and Children established a strategic task force on alcohol in January 2002. The terms of reference requested the task force to review international research in order to identify evidence-based measures effective in preventing alcohol related harm. It was also requested to recommend specific, evidence-based measures to Government to prevent and reduce alcohol related harm in Ireland. The task force has published two reports which contain approximately 100 recommendations. These recommendations provide a blueprint for tackling alcohol problems in Ireland. The second report is due to go to Government in the near future. As is the case with drug abuse, the gardaí in the north-eastern region are proactive when it comes to law enforcement in the area of alcohol abuse.