Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 11 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 2

Written Answers. - National Drugs Strategy.

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

19 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress, if any, made to date in regard to the review of the national drugs strategy and the review of the local drugs task forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7391/99]

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

26 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation his proposals, if any, on the future operation of the local drugs task forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7299/99]

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

27 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will include a representative of Dublin Corporation on the national drugs strategy team in view of the fact that a majority of the drugs task force areas are located within the corporation's boundaries. [7032/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Mr. Flood)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 26 and 27 together.

An external evaluation of the drugs initiative was completed late last year and the evaluator's report was considered by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion before Christmas. The eval uation, which reviewed the operation of the local drugs task forces and the national drugs strategy team, found that the local drugs 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 evaluator – has now commenced, with a view to submitting proposals on their future operation to the Cabinet committee at an early date. This will pave the way for a review of the overall national drugs strategy, on which work is expected to begin later in the year. The question of including a representative of Dublin Corporation on the national drugs strategy team can be considered in that context.