Vol. 557 No. 4
260 Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding his Department is providing to the Aisling group for its work with drug users, including counselling and support for clients, education programmes for parents and drug prevention programmes; and the further funding which could be available from his Department to assist this group with their invaluable work. [22626/02]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the Aisling group which is located in Counties Cavan and Meath. The position is that my Department has been providing funding for 36 local drugs task force projects with an education and prevention theme since 1 January 2001. The projects were transferred from the former Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation following evaluation which had been overseen by the national drugs strategy team.
My Department does not provide funding to the Aisling group. However, responsibility for the implementation of the national drugs strategy, 2001 to 2008, rests with the national drugs strategy team and with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, including the allocation of funding under the drugs initiatives of the Government. Applications for the funding of projects working with drug users should be sent to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
