Vol. 492 No. 1
260 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of departmental staff assigned to work with the partnership companies and the local drug task forces; and the budget assigned by his Department to support the work of each of these groups. [13479/98]
The representatives on local drugs task forces are from local community groups, local voluntary services concerned with treatment and prevention issues related to misuse of drugs and from relevant locally based statutory agencies, including the appropriate vocational education committees. My Department is not represented directly on these local task forces but is represented by an official on the National Drugs Strategy Team which has certain responsibilities in relation to the work of the local task forces. This representation on the national team is supplemented, as required from time to time, by a senior member of the inspectorate.
As regards the funding-budgetary arrangements, the Deputy will be aware that the Government allocated £10 million in 1997 to support the implementation of service development plans prepared by the 13 local drugs task forces. It has not been necessary for my Department to assign a budget to support the work of each of the task forces.
My Department also supports the area development management (ADM) and the area-based partnership companies. Details of the precise support are being assembled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
