Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

There is still a serious misunderstanding of the magnitude of the problem facing us. I have never tried to minimise the challenge with regard to the scale of drug misuse. The local drug task forces and increasingly the regional drugs task forces have an impact. I am fairly conversant at this stage with their work. The local drugs task force work is a collaborative effort drawn up under the national drugs strategy. It is not the Government's strategy alone, it is a national drug strategy, primarily driven by the voluntary and community sector. I do not denigrate the input of State agencies but those working on the ground fully understand the impact the problem has on communities.

Deputy Byrne asked how the money is distributed. This happens through a process of submission, strategic plans and detailed submissions to the local drugs task force, in the first instance, which is then referred to the national drugs strategy team. A detailed assessment is done at that stage. Members of the national drug strategy team work full time and are drawn from State agencies and the community and voluntary sector. They make recommendations to me and, in my experience and that of my predecessor, the vast majority of programmes recommended are approved. The teams are aware of the allocation of money and the amount available to each local and regional task force is approved in consultation with them. The money available in the coming year will be no less than the amount for last year. All programmes are drawn down by prior agreement with those proposing them. Account is taken of value for money and a value for money audit has been carried out on most of them, with positive outcomes. The local and regional drugs task forces are the most efficient method of delivering services.

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