Vol. 503 No. 3
512 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by anti-drugs activists (details supplied) regarding the manner in which the drug problem is being handled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9820/99]
I am aware of the views expressed by the organisation to which the Deputy refers. However, I do not concur with such views. The Ministers to whom the Deputy has addressed separate questions in this regard will deal with the various aspects of the overall drugs strategy which fall within their areas of responsibility.
I am happy to say, in particular, that the drugs initiative, which operates under the aegis of the National Drugs Strategy Team located in my Department, is running effectively – a fact that has been borne out by the findings of a recent external evaluation of the initiative.
The Deputy will be aware that 13 local drugs task forces were set up on foot of a recommendation in the first report of the ministerial task force on measures to reduce the demand for drugs. In this report, the ministerial task force focused on heroin abuse, which is the most pressing aspect of the drug problem, because of its public health implications and close relationship with crime. The task forces were set up to develop an integrated response to the drug problem in the areas experiencing the highest levels of substance, particularly heroin, abuse.
The areas were designated primarily on the basis of treatment statistics for heroin misuse, provided – in both written and oral submissions – by the Health Research Board, which is the Irish focal point of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
In addition, the ministerial task force received over 120 submissions from statutory, voluntary and community organisations working in the drugs area. The submissions which dealt with the issue of prevalence of drug misuse supported the Health Research Board's analysis of where the problem was at its most acute.
