Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

I am sure the Acting Chairman would give me longer anyway.

The review of the strategy highlighted the area of community policing. We have failed in this area in terms of tackling drugs. Youth and community policing should be a major part of the strategy and could be effective in tackling soft drug use in particular. It can also be important in terms of picking up information and finding out who is involved in what. We need to expand community policing if we are to have a chance of tackling crime. Through community policing, younger members of the Garda have a great chance to reach out to young people in an advisory capacity and prevent them from getting involved in drug use.

I welcome the Minister of State's comment that his main aim will be prevention. That is the right approach to pursue. Rehabilitation is important also, as the Minister stated. I know the subject of ex-offenders leaving prison and the rehabilitation of drug addicts back into society is dear to the Minister of State's heart. Reference was made by him to education and employment. It is important that when people leave prison a care plan is put in place for them to get re-educated and to provide whatever help is necessary to get them back into society and functioning. This will keep them off drugs and away from crime.

We must also convince taxpayers that it is worth spending a lot of money on drug prevention and rehabilitation. It will save money in the long run. We have not been getting this message across to them. There is no widespread support to spend money in this area and we need to convince people of the merits of doing that. This is part of the Minister of State's job and I am happy he will do what is necessary. I hope when we review the next strategy in a few years we will have real figures to talk about and something about which we can clap ourselves on the back. We need to produce real results and reduce the number of people who are on drugs.

See this speech in context