Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 September 2013
256. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of times the Oversight Forum on Drugs Committee and the Drugs Advisory Group have met in the past year since September 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40282/13]
View answer257. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update in the review of the structures of the National Drugs Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40283/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, I announced details of a series of measures last December arising from a review of Drugs Task Forces and the national structures under which they operate. These measures included the extension of the remit of the Task Forces to include alcohol addiction and the establishment of a National Coordinating Committee for Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. This new committee will replace the Drugs Advisory Group, which has met twice since September 2012. The Oversight Forum on Drugs, which I envisage continuing in its present format, has met four times during that period.
As measures to address the abuse of alcohol remain under consideration by the Government, I am not yet in a position to provide clear time-scales for the establishment of the new committee. I am committed to the implementation of the proposals for reform arising from the review. To this end, I have arranged a series of bilateral meetings with Government departments and agencies, the community and voluntary sector and the drugs task forces in the coming weeks. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss how we can maintain and strengthen the inter-agency approach to the National Drugs Strategy in order to ensure successful implementation of the Drugs Task Force reforms.
