Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The campaigns will be very important. The young people's facilities and services projects fund will be extended. For no other reason but to get maximum benefit, I will be engaging with the youth and sports organisations in the Leinster area. I will keep in touch with the Deputy on that matter.

Education is the key to this strategy. The DEIS programme must address those issues raised by Deputy Upton and others and the SPHE programmes must be further rolled out. I am keen the senior cycle in post-primary schools is appropriate to their needs which it currently is not.

The work on the all-Ireland prevalence study has been completed and will be published before the end of January 2008. It will give a good indication as to prevalence levels of various drugs. Other research from the EU monitoring report will show increases in some areas in the use of some drugs.

A potential model of good practice for regional drugs taskforces is evident in the south east. It has county-based sub-committees of its taskforce. The experiences and concerns with drugs in Carlow will be different from those in Waterford. Such sub-committees are the best means to address local need. That is why I am anxious that we all engage in building up the next strategy.

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