Tony Gregory
Ceist:40 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the number of times the National Co-ordinating Group on Drug Abuse has met during the past two years; and, the plans, if any, he has to give this group a more proactive role. [6479/95]
Written Answers. - National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse.
Limerick East): The National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse, which was chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Health, met on two occasions in 1993 and has not met since then.
The co-ordinating committee made its recommendations to the Government in 1991. These were accepted by the Government and formed the basis for its strategy to prevent drug misuse which was published in 1991.
The strategy set out clear guidelines for the various services in relation to the reduction of supply of drugs and the reduction in demand which primarily relates to education, prevention and treatment and rehabilitation services.
Armed with the recommendations in the strategy the supply reduction issue was tackled by the Garda and Customs authorities while demand reduction measures were undertaken by agencies in the health services in consultation with the Department of Education.
Since the publication of the strategy the emphasis has been on putting in place a comprehensive programme of services. The Eastern Health Board proposes to continue with the development of services during 1995 with the provision of additional satellite clinics, community drug teams, a detoxification unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital and additional rehabilitation facilities.
One of the recommendations in the strategy is the provision of a mechanism at local level for formal links between the various agencies involved in the prevention of addiction to drugs. The Eastern Health Board is in the process of establishing such a committee which is made up of representatives of the Health Board, the Garda, the prison service, the education sector and the voluntary organisations. This committee will perform at a local operational level the functions formerly carried out by the National Co-Ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse. I am confident that the establishment of this committee will result in improved co-ordination of services at local level which will, in turn, allow for a more effective response to the problem of drug abuse in the Dublin area.