Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I heard the Minister of State speak of the targeting of finance. Will he indicate how the finance is being targeted? Is he aware that the problem, according to the analysis on the DVD, which he has obviously seen also, began for the cases to which it referred in primary school due to bullying. It was the resolve of the children who had been bullied not to be bullied in secondary school and, therefore, they were determined to fit in with their peer groups, act tough and dabble in drugs, as they saw it, as a way to gain acceptance in their peer group. Will the Minister of State liaise with the Department of Education and Science to ensure that we get to the heart of that reason to start on drugs?

The other side of it is the treatment. There has been some movement on treatment, but will the Minister of State accept that there is a long way to go before there will be adequate treatment available for those who are interested and in a position to gain treatment? Often those coming out of prison, for example, find that in prison they can get treatment but when they leave prison they are left without it. The incidence of relapse and return to drugs is an appalling indictment and, ultimately, indicates that the treatment itself was a failure. Will the Minister of State indicate whether there will be follow through on treatment resulting in the necessary genuine success rates for people who enter treatment and that they will be monitored and have their hands held until they are absolutely clean, able to get a job and return to normal life?

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