Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 February 2010
30 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the commitments that have been made by the Office of Minister for Drugs by leading Departments to tackle the drugs problems in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8299/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra31 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress to date in 2010 regarding the implementation of the national drugs strategy. [8395/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together.
I am confident that the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy (NDS) 2009-2016 will provide a comprehensive response to problem drug use in Ireland, and good progress is being made on its implementation.
The Strategy seeks to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. This pillar approach has been retained from the previous NDS as (i) it has proven effective to date, (ii) it was widely supported during the consultation process on a new Strategy, and (iii) it dovetails with the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012. I believe that the actions set out in the Strategy will facilitate a planned and monitored approach to achieving the overall strategic objective.
As part of the NDS, I will be meeting twice a year with a number of Ministers and various senior officials who are tasked with implementing various actions. I completed the first round of such meetings before Christmas and as part of that process, I stressed the need for Departments and agencies to ensure that high priority is given to achieving the objectives of the Strategy. These meetings facilitated a good exchange of views, and they also focused on the importance of the continued effective implementation of other programmes that impact on the broader issues underpinning problem drug use.
A number of the actions of the NDS focus on co-ordination arrangements for its implementation, and some changes have been made to the institutional structures involved, including the establishment of an Office of the Minister for Drugs. I believe that these changes will streamline administration and facilitate more effective co-ordination and partnership.
A Drugs Advisory Group has been set up under the Strategy, with membership from across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. This Group, which meets regularly, advises me on operational matters relating to the NDS and oversees and supports the work of the Drugs Task Forces.
An Oversight Forum on Drugs, which I chair, has also been established and meets on a quarterly basis. The primary role of the Forum, which has met twice to date, is the on-going high level examination of progress across the Strategy and addressing of any operational difficulties and blockages that arise. Following the next meeting in April, a comprehensive report on progress across the Actions of the Strategy will be circulated to Drugs Task Forces.
The current structural arrangements in place to support the implementation of the Strategy will, I believe, provide the basis for more robust monitoring of progress. They will also provide a mechanism to identify blockages at an early stage, thus allowing any problems to be followed up. I am determined that real progress will be made across the period of the Strategy with all sectors working in a co-ordinated and targeted way to achieve the implementation of the agreed actions.
33 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the national substance misuse strategy; his views on the primary aim of this new document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8409/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra43 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made regarding the production of a report on the way local drugs task forces will take over the responsibility of tackling issues surrounding alcohol abuse. [8248/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 43 together.
A Steering Group, comprising representatives of the statutory, community, voluntary and industry sectors, was established last November to develop proposals and make recommendations on a National Substance Misuse Strategy. The Group is jointly chaired by officials from my Department and the Department of Health and Children. The third meeting of the Group is scheduled to take place later this week.
The primary objective of the Group is:
to identify effective policies and actions to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by alcohol use and misuse; and
to make proposals on a combined policy that will incorporate the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, which was published last year.
In this context, the Steering Group will review existing policies and reports, including at EU and international level, and will set out an evidence-based framework through which to address the issues identified. While the Group will also be looking at what are the appropriate structures and frameworks for the effective and efficient implementation of the combined Strategy, the possible level of involvement of Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces in this regard has yet to be considered.
The Steering Group is due to submit its proposals to the Minister for Health and Children and myself by the end of October 2010. The combined Strategy will then be submitted to Government for consideration.
Finally, it should be noted that my Department has received 60 submissions from a range of organisations and individuals following the placing of an advertisement in the national newspapers in December last. The submissions are currently being reviewed and the issues arising will be considered by the Steering Group as part of its ongoing deliberations.
