Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on being re-appointed to their positions and I wish them well. However, as the Minister of State has admitted, the drugs problem has significantly increased outside Dublin city during the Minister's term of office. I acknowledge there has been significant improvement in the 14 to 21 age cohort in Dublin city, but is it not true that in Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Wicklow and Carlow, heroin is being used more than ever? Has the Minister's national drugs strategy failed? The strategy is in its fourth year, yet the regional drugs tasks forces have been set up only in the past year and have produced no reports. The Minister has failed to deal with this issue.

Parents in particular are concerned at the spread of heroin, albeit to a significant minority of people. Nevertheless, that minority never previously indulged in heroin abuse. Is the Minister's strategy failing because he has failed to resource or fund it in these best of times? We have never had more money in our coffers, yet never has less been spent on the national drugs strategy in the regions.

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