Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

I could see he was holding his breath and waiting to pounce. I suggest the House should revert to its practice during the current Government's first term in office, when the Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion and drugs problems gave lengthy answers to questions on this matter and Deputies were allowed to ask at greater length about the role of the Cabinet sub-committee and Government policy on this issue. That would be a good initiative. What is the precise role of the Cabinet sub-committee on drugs and social inclusion in 2006? What recent initiatives have been taken by the sub-committee? In what way has the sub-committee made a difference to Government policy? In particular, what difference has the sub-committee made to the problems being suffered in many communities?

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