Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I know the Minister is interested in history. I refer him back to the last programme for Government, for which I presume he also takes responsibility. It includes the statement:

By the end of 2002 we will publish a plan to completely end all heroin use in Irish persons. This will include the availability of treatment and rehabilitation for all who need them and the introduction of compulsory drug testing for prisoners where necessary.

This was in the zero tolerance era. The latest programme for Government promises to build on this and do it all over again.

My question was prompted by information prominently displayed in the public domain to the effect that the Government has "capitulated" in its commitment to introduce drugs screening in prisons and is not proceeding as set out in the programme for Government. The Minister has provided much useful information, but it is not pertinent to the question of whether it is true that the Government is no longer proceeding to maintain our prison institutions as drug free and taking the necessary steps to ensure this is the case. Does the professional advice available to the Minister indicate that it might be dangerous to proceed as the Government intended in making our prisons drug free?

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