John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. The figures to which he referred are lifetime figures for anyone who has ever used a drug and they do not accurately represent what is happening. We are more concerned with the figures for last month or last year. I accept the point Deputy Ring made about the trend increasing outside the Dublin area. The figures in the report published yesterday are very important because they also identify the different types of drug that are being used in different parts of the country.

The consultation process is ongoing and we hope to conclude it by mid-July or the end of the month. Apart from the public consultation meetings that took place prior to my appointment, I have attended many of the meetings. The HSE is a key element in the equation. We have met with the HSE and will meet with it again. The role of the Department and my role as Minister of State is to co-ordinate the entire programme. There are more than two pillars and more than a handful of service providers and that requires a co-ordinated approach. The consultation process is due to finish before the summer. The strategy is aimed at the period 2009 to 2016 and we hope it will be published sometime early next year.

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