Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
871. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the timeframe and process for the mid-term review of Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, the National Drugs and Alcohol Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4465/21]
View answerThe national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, sets out government policy on drug and alcohol use until 2025. The strategy aims to provide an integrated public health approach to drug and alcohol use, focused on reducing the harms for individuals, families and communities and promoting rehabilitation and recovery. The strategy is a dynamic strategy, monitored through the key national, local and regional structures charged with ensuring the implementation of the strategy, and has the flexibility to adapt to needs that may emerge over the lifetime of the strategy.
The strategy contains 50 actions for delivery between 2017 and 2020. The implementation of the actions is monitored though the national oversight structures, supported by the coordinated system of monitoring, research and evaluation set out in the strategy.
The Department commenced a mid-term review of the action plan at the end of 2020, in consultation with the national oversight structures and will present the results to the National Oversight Committee at its meeting in March. The review will provide an opportunity to reflect on progress in implementing the strategy from 2017 to 2020, and to consider the development of new actions to address emerging needs and challenges.
The results of the review will determine whether further actions need to be developed for the period 2021-2025.
I believe the national drugs strategy is a living document, that should be adjusted to take account of new insights and understandings about the needs of people who use drugs or have alcohol dependency, in particular arising Covid-19. It also should reflect the important commitments in the Programme for Government. I look forward to engaging with all stakeholders on the review and to reinvigorating the partnership approach that underpins the national drugs strategy.
