Vol. 484 No. 2
3 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science whether he will overhaul the drugs education strategies of his Department in view of the recent findings in relation to students and the use of damaging substances. [21727/97]
A report prepared by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction — EMCDDA — has indicated that up to 37 per cent of 15 and 16 year olds, among the school-going population in this State, reported that, at some stage they had tried cannabis.
These figures are on a par with those for the United Kingdom but seem higher than those for other European countries. The figures include both once-off, single, experimentation as well as more frequent use. The preparation of cross-national data on drug use is at a very early stage and results need to be treated with caution. The results from the survey referred to and from other sources indicate that illegal drugs are relatively widely available and that young people seem increasingly prepared to experiment with their use. Cannabis, in particular, seems to be used fairly widely, as is ecstasy. The use of heroin remains a serious problem in urban disadvantaged areas, especially in Dublin.
The results of the survey referred to and other surveys tend to confirm certain worrying trends which have been known to those concerned with drug misuse by young people for some time past, including my Department. It is because of the concern about the trends that my Department, in co-operation with the Department of Health and Children, has introduced a programme of substance misuse prevention for post-primary schools and has begun the development of a similar programme for primary schools. We have also expanded the network of health promoting schools and introduced extensive and intensive training programmes for teachers on implementing substance misuse prevention education for primary schools.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been requested to prepare guidelines for schools, at primary and second levels, to ensure that social personal and health education — to include education about use of substances — will become an identified part of the curricula of schools at both levels.
Youthwork is recognised as a particularly successful intervention in terms of demand reduction among young people. In the youth services area, the Department of Education and Science co-operates with the Department of Health and Children in introducing education about use of drugs, especially as part of the national youth health programme, and in support of the development of resource materials and training for youth workers.
My Department participates actively in the work of the national drugs strategy team, which supports the development of plans by local drugs task forces. The aim of many of the proposals contained in these plans is to strengthen local youth services in providing healthy alternatives to drug use for young people and to support school programmes of substance misuse prevention education.
All these initiatives which have begun, or have been developed recently, will be expanded. By their nature, drugs education programmes take time to show the extent to which they influence attitudes and behaviour. All programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis. The earlier indications from the evaluation of the post-primary programme are that it is having an impact on those participating. It is important that the programmes are modified and adopted in the light of evaluation findings and of trends in drugs use as shown in surveys. It is my intention that such modification and adaptation should occur in respect of the programmes already in place and that we will be engaged in ongoing developments in the matter.
I acknowledge that the survey to which the Minister referred shows that illicit drug use among the student population in Ireland is 2.5 times the average in the other European countries surveyed and three times the average in the case of heroin. Will the Minister agree it is worrying that the survey also shows that the perception of danger from substance abuse, including smoking, is among the lowest, 63 per cent lower than the average in the case of use of alcohol to excess and 32 per cent lower in the case of use of cannabis? Will the Minister agree that this is prima facie evidence that the education programmes are not getting through? Was it an oversight on the Minister's part that he did not refer to the manifesto commitment to appoint national and regional drugs education co-ordinators and to ensure the activities of his Department would be looked at and assessed independently?
It was not an oversight. We will meet school management bodies to discuss various issues, including the appointment of national and regional co-ordinators to co-ordinate activities under the schools' programme on substance misuse as well as posts of responsibility. Shortly after taking office I met the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment when I impressed upon it the urgent need to develop and complete programmes on substance misuse at primary and second level. The primary school programme has been completed and we will be in a position to publish and introduce it early in the new year. The post-primary programme is at drafting stage. A key part of my election manifesto was a commitment to ensure a comprehensive substance misuse programme would be a core part of the curriculum under the heading of social and personal health.
The issue of posts of responsibility falls to be considered as part of the PCW negotiations which are taking a long time to complete. We are not yet in a position to discuss the utilisation of new posts and new middle management structures in so far as they relate to the substance misuse programme. Funding will be available in the in-service training budget for the ongoing training of teachers in the area of substance misuse. Considerable work will be done in 1998 under this heading to ensure there are comprehensive programmes on substance misuse at primary and second level.
We should always be aware that alcohol abuse is often the gateway to drug abuse. I will work with my colleagues, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, and the Minister of State with special responsibility for children, Deputy Fahey, in developing awareness programmes at primary and post-primary level. I agree with the Deputy it is worrying that the perception of harm from alcohol and drugs among young people is among the lowest in the countries surveyed. Yesterday £1.25 million was allocated in the budget under the heading of youth development services. This will help us to introduce new and additional programmes in tandem with youth organisations and youth services in schools to heighten the level of awareness of the dangers associated with alcohol and substance abuse.
Is the estimated cost of national and regional drugs education co-ordinators, £1.2 million, included in the Estimates and is the £1.25 million announced yesterday in the budget additional to the £20 million in the youth development services fund which is to be allocated to those areas acutely affected by the problem of drug and substance misuse?
Is the Deputy referring to the £20 million announced by the previous Government in a press release?
Precisely.
It was not included in the Estimates.
Is the Minister indicating that he is not proposing to honour the commitment given to provide £20 million in the youth development services fund? If so, will he agree that he will find himself in deep water with many voluntary community organisations which have come together to formulate plans to tackle the problem in some of the most acute black spots? Is he trying to wriggle out of the commitment given? If so, he had better rethink his position.
A question, please.
Is the £1.25 million additional to the £20 million in the youth development services fund already announced?
With all due respect, the Deputy has some nerve, particularly when he knows there is no such fund in place.
There was a clear Government commitment to establish such a fund.
The Minister should be allowed to continue without interruption.
I allowed the Deputy to make his points.
Not without interruption.
The number of press releases issued between January and May without one penny attached was incredible.
Is the Minister reneging on the commitment given?
The Deputy should not lecture me or any other member of the Government about press releases. He is out of order. He should not suggest that empty and shallow press releases issued by the Government of which he was a member without one penny attached, amount to a commitment. The Government is committed to providing the required funding for the youth development services fund. Significant funding has already been provided for the local drug task forces which will go a long way towards meeting the costs associated with a number of substance abuse programmes.
The figure is now £21.25 million.
With all due respect, the Government of which the Deputy was a member gave a range of commitments without providing a single penny in the Estimates for items such as information technology and so on. It is rich to suggest that a press release issued last April amounts to a commitment to establish a fund. There is no such fund and the Deputy should not lecture me about it.
As the time available for priority questions is exhausted Questions Nos. 4 and 5 may be taken in ordinary time.
