John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

The issue of having a single policy has attracted considerable interest. There would be one concern if we were to have a combined strategy for misuse. How do we structure it and are the existing services such as local drugs task forces adequately resourced to deal with it? Different people have different views, but the one message coming across loud at all the meetings was the point the Deputy made. Everybody acknowledges that alcohol is the gateway drug to illicit drug use. Our Department is represented on the working group on alcohol and drugs. It is chaired by the Department of Health and Children and is due to report to us shortly.

One final meeting that will be of critical importance and which is also part of our consultation for the next drug strategy will be between my Department and the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for the alcohol strategy, Deputy Wallace, next week. From that meeting I can give Deputy Byrne some idea of how we are doing. However, since it falls under two different Departments, where we go with it is not totally my call. Whatever the final outcome, we need much closer relationships because there is no getting away from the point that alcohol is part of the drugs strategy. Whether there will be two stand-alone strategies or a single one is up for debate and there are mixed views on where to go. If Deputy Byrne wants, I will talk to her after that meeting next week.

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