Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 20 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 5

Written Answers. - Employment Support Services.

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

40 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific steps being taken by her Department to facilitate entry or return to the workforce of recovering drug addicts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11975/00]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

The Cabinet committee on social inclusion and drugs, of which I am a member, has political responsibility for reviewing trends in drugs problems, assessing progress in implementing the national drugs strategy, and related policy issues. My Department is represented on the interdepartmental group on the national drugs strategy, reporting to the Cabinet committee. The interdepartmental committee meets in conjunction with the national drugs strategy team to oversee progress on the implementation of the strategy, and review Government policy on issues which may arise.

FÁS, which is represented on the national drugs strategy team, is involved across a broad front in providing employment and training for drug workers and drug users. One thousand community employment, CE, places have been ring-fenced for projects in disadvantaged areas which deal with drug abusers or those recovering from such abuse. In addition, at least 100 participants on normal CE programmes come from the same categories. There are 36 FÁS funded special community employment drugs related projects with a capacity of 674 places currently up and running under the umbrella of the local drugs task forces. These programmes provide training inputs as an integral part of their delivery.

A network of 52 FÁS funded community training workshops – CTWs – operate, for the most part, in the areas most affected by the drugs problems in collaboration with the local drugs task force where one is present in those areas. Many of these CTWs grew out of the need to tackle drugs and other issues affecting young people, and as a result, there is a high level of preventive activity in these workshops.

Following a two year EU sponsored pilot programme FÁS has introduced an advocacy support structure for young people after they leave the workshops to enable them to continue their progression into adult and working life. This service is being rolled out over the next two years. The programme will comprise 30 advocates who will be located in the most severely deprived areas. Each advocate will have a caseload of 60 participants and will be available as a referral option for the local drugs task forces.

It is intended also that staff in local FÁS employment offices, who are trained in career guidance and counselling, will provide assistance in the future for individuals with drug problems.