Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 April 2010
9 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding provided by his Department to drug rehabilitation centres over the past three years; the location of centres that may have received funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14268/10]
View answer30 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to support those involved in community based and support drug rehabilitation programmes; his intention to develop or expand such schemes in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14201/10]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 30 together.
Of the total drugs funding available in my Department's Vote in 2010, in the region of 93% is targeted at Task Force related activities. This funding supports a broad range of community groups involved in various drugs initiatives across the different pillars of the National Drugs Strategy and is channelled through the 24 Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces.
In excess of €31m is being made available to fund the activities of the Task Forces in 2010 and this will support approximately 500 initiatives. Of this funding, in the region of 50% will support projects with a treatment and rehabilitation focus or where treatment and rehabilitation forms part of a project's objectives. This also includes additional dedicated funds, originally approved in 2008, to support rehabilitation initiatives in Task Force areas.
The Task Forces had the discretion to fund projects and initiatives identified as priorities in their areas from the 2010 allocation from my Department. I would envisage the same principle applying for 2011 funding where Task Forces would, again, be in a position to develop or expand initiatives — including those with a treatment and rehabilitation focus — should they opt to do so based on identified local or regional needs.
With particular regard to funding for drug rehabilitation centres, I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to residential rehabilitation services. In this regard, I would draw his attention to the Residential Rehabilitation Framework Group established by my colleague, Mr John Curran, T.D., while he was Minister of State with responsibility for the Drugs Strategy. This Group, established in mid-2009, has been examining a range of issues around better service integration, quality standards and clarity and consistency in regard to funding arrangements for residential rehabilitation. The Group is chaired by the Office of the Minister for Drugs and also includes representatives from the HSE, the Probation Service and a number of voluntary sector residential service providers.
The Group's deliberations are nearing completion and will feed into the overall work of the National Drug Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC). The NDRIC has overall responsibility for developing the comprehensive response in this area, in line with the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation.
The residential rehabilitation organisations in receipt of funding from my Department in the period 2008-2010 are detailed in Table 1 below.
Capital funding was also provided by my Department in 2008 to the following residential rehabilitation projects:
Peter McVerry Trust/Whitworth Road Project — €0.579m;
Arbour House Treatment Centre in Cork — €0.5m; and
St. James Resource Centre, Enfield — €1.13m.
|
Organisation |
Drugs Task Force Area |
Funding allocated 2008-2010 |
Capital Funding allocated (2002-2009) |
|
€ |
€ |
||
|
Aiséirí — Cahir, Wexford and Waterford |
South East RDTF |
806,273 |
50,000 |
|
Aislinn Adolescent Addiction Centre, Kilkenny |
South East RDTF |
179,174 |
0 |
|
Merchants Quay Ireland, St. Frances Farm, Tullow |
South East RDTF |
455,504 |
63,487 |
|
Cara Lodge — Matt Talbot Adolescent Services, Cork |
Southern RDTF |
118,074 |
8,910 |
|
Cuan Mhuire, Cork |
Southern RDTF |
118,181 |
12,761 |
|
Talbot Grove, CastleIsland, Co. Kerry |
Southern RDTF |
117,012 |
0 |
|
Tabor Lodge, Belgooly, Cork |
Southern RDTF |
118,445 |
239,036 |
|
Cuan Mhuire, Athy |
South Western RDTF |
0 |
7,000 |
|
Cuan Mhuire, Bruree |
Mid West RDTF |
0 |
54,000 |
|
Bushypark Treatment Centre, Ennis |
Mid West RDTF |
115,000 |
17,978 |
|
Coolmine Therapeutic Centre |
South Inner City & Blanchardstown LDTFs |
2,166,423 |
660,577 |
|
Merchants Quay, Dublin |
South Inner City LDTF |
233,344 |
93,882 |
|
Hope House, Foxford, Co. Mayo |
Western RDTF |
216,654 |
95,000 |
|
Cuan Mhuire, Athenry |
Western RDTF |
35,610 |
0 |
|
White Oaks Rehabilitation, Lifford, Co. Donegal |
North Western RDTF |
185,287 |
0 |
|
Totals |
4,854,981 |
1,302,631 |
10 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of meetings he or his Department have had with the gardaí and the Department of Justice and Law Reform in relation to the prevention of and spread of the sale of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14271/10]
View answerThe Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform and An Garda Síochána both play a vital role in the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy. In that context, my colleague, Minister John Curran, T.D., held numerous meetings and had on-going engagement with both organisations during his period as Minister for State with responsibility for the Drugs Strategy. Indeed, engagement with officials of my Department takes place virtually on a daily basis.
In line with the provisions of the Drugs Strategy, I intend to hold a further series of bilateral meetings with various Ministers and officials over the coming months and I anticipate that high-level meetings with the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform and An Garda Síochána will be included in that schedule.
However, while such high-level meetings are important to facilitate to smooth implementation of the Strategy, they are only part of much wider process. The Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform and An Garda Síochána are fully engaged in the ongoing implementation of the Strategy, including through membership of the various structures involved. Both organisations are represented on the Drugs Advisory Group, through the assignment of officials on a half-time basis to the Office of the Minister for Drugs (OMD). In both cases, the representatives are directly involved in the implementation of the Strategy and provide a strong link between their organisations and the OMD. Furthermore, An Garda Síochána is represented on all Drugs Task Forces, while the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform, and associated agencies, are represented on a number of them.
Both organisations are also centrally involved on the Oversight Forum on Drugs. As Chair of the Forum, I intend to build on the work of monitoring progress at a high level and to address any difficulties and blockages that may arise, in partnership with the relevant bodies.
The importance of international co-operation is well recognised among our law enforcement agencies and the Gardaí, as well as Revenue's Customs Service, have been very active in this regard. I would also mention the significant contribution to the implementation of the Strategy being made by the Irish Prison and Probation Services.
I look forward to the continued co-operation of the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform and An Garda Síochána in the implementation of the Drugs Strategy and I have no doubt that this will be forthcoming.
