Billy Timmins
Ceist:215 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he received correspondence from Bray partnership on social exclusion and drugs; and, if so, his views on the report. [26094/98]
Written Answers - Drugs Task Forces.
I understand that Bray Partnership has written to all members of the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, including the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and me, in relation to their report on social inclusion and drugs in Bray and, specifically, the question of designating Bray as a local drugs task force area as part of the Government's drugs initiative.
A report on the external evaluation of the drugs initiative was recently considered by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion. The evaluation found that the task forces have achieved a number of significant successes in the short time since they were established and that their very existence has provided a strong focus for tackling drugs issues in target areas, reducing the feeling of isolation felt by many local communities and preventing a potentially critical solution from developing further into a continuing downward spiral of economic deprivation, addiction and crime.
Arising from recommendations in the evaluation, the Cabinet committee has agreed in principle to the continuation of the local drugs task forces for the time being, to facilitate the putting in place of an evaluation framework which would include clear statements of the overall aim of the initiative, the specific objectives arising from this aim and the specific targets arising from these objectives, quantified where possible and appropriate macro-level monitoring arrangements to allow performance against stated objectives and targets to be measured.
Meanwhile, a full review of the drugs task forces, having regard to the findings and recommendations of the evaluation, has already begun with a view to submitting a detailed response to the Cabinet committee at an early date. This will make way for a comprehensive, in-depth review of the overall national drugs strategy, due to commence early in the New Year. The question of establishing local drugs task forces in areas outside the existing 13 will be considered in this context.