Vol. 500 No. 1
66 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if the promised comprehensive review of the national drugs strategy has been undertaken; if the review of the local drugs task forces has been completed; the plans, if any, he has for the future of the drugs task forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3486/99]
An external evaluation of the drugs initiative was completed late last year, and its report was considered by the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion before Christmas.
The evaluation found that the task forces had achieved a number of significant successes in the short time since they were established.
In accordance with the recommendations in the report, the Cabinet Committee 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.
A full review of the local drugs task forces, having regard to the findings and recommendations of the evaluation, is expected to start shortly, with a view to submitting a detailed response to the Cabinet Committee at an early date. This will pave the way for a comprehensive, in-depth review of the overall National Drugs Strategy, on which work is expected to begin later in the year.
