Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy should hold on, since I listened to him.

Drugs are a serious problem for those affected, but our strategy is working. The Deputy asked regarding Europe, and one must consider the situation in the context in which our strategy and efforts are placed. The supply of drugs has risen substantially. The amount seized is now massive, and prices have fallen. That is the background against which we operate our strategy in this country. The supply of drugs internationally has increased a great deal, and the price reflects that. It would be almost naive to believe that Ireland might be different or separate from the rest of the world in that regard. There is great co-operation internationally.

The funds in the Department amount to approximately €50 million, mainly for expenditure at a community level, and we have mainstreamed perhaps €25 million, meaning that approximately €75 million a year is now going on projects that started at a community level. As they are evaluated, they are moved to other Departments. Perhaps 650 or 700 people are now working in the community on projects that did not exist eight or nine years ago. However, because of heroin from Afghanistan and so on, supply has increased so dramatically that things have become very difficult.

There is always a problem with joined-up government, but we have the interdepartmental group in which the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Health and Children; Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Education and Science; and Enterprise, Trade and Employment are involved, together with all the agencies. There is a co-ordinated response, and that is the strategy. They all answer for what they are doing or not doing at that level.

The context is the international supply of drugs, and despite the fact that gardaí and the Customs and Excise have been so successful with their seizures, as we have heard today, it is obvious that great quantities of drugs are getting through. We can only equip people with knowledge and awareness, giving them the information on the dangers of such drugs and providing treatment facilities for those who have sadly become users.

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