Trevor Sargent
Ceist:334 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to extend the awareness of the drugs pilot scheme currently operating in a small number of primary schools. [1150/97]
Written Answers. - Drugs Misuse Prevention Programme.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:335 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education if she will meet with the Dublin City Wide Drugs Crisis Campaign to discuss parenting programmes and other educational measures to tackle drugs. [1151/97]
As part of the overall development of a substance misuse prevention programme for primary schools, a wide range of educational resource materials for each primary school class level has been drafted.
Twenty-seven primary schools, mainly serving areas of urban disadvantage, have been selected to pilot test these materials. Ten teachers have been specially selected to assist in the provision of training for teachers on the use of the materials. It is expected that the pilot test, which commenced last term, will be completed in the late spring.
The revised resource materials will be disseminated then to primary schools in the priority areas identified in the First Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Measures to Reduce the Demand for Drugs, which was published in October 1996. They will be distributed subsequently to all primary schools nationally on a phased basis.
If the organisation referred to by the Deputy wishes to contact my office, I will arrange for officials of my Department to meet with them.