Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am sure Balbriggan was once upon a time under consideration for a local drugs task force. I have met people in Drogheda and Balbriggan who are doing good work. I am sure the groups there now come under the north-east drugs task force.

There are different levels. Much of the original strategy and local drugs task force plans dealt with people at disadvantaged level. There are other groups which comprise dedicated volunteers, including the Balbriggan group, which I met on a number of occasions. The voluntary side can do much work without the service being professionalised.

We are spending significant resources on prevention. Over 300 people, many of them youth workers, will be funded under the young people's facilities and services fund, mainly in disadvantaged areas. The clear message for years has been that there is no point telling young people not to get involved in drugs unless they can be pointed in the direction of other healthy pursuits, whether youth clubs or otherwise. Every euro spent on prevention more than pays for itself later.

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