John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I strongly support the participation of recovering drug users on community employment schemes as part of the rehabilitation process. I am aware of the importance of such schemes in the recovery paths of many and I wish to acknowledge the role played by FÁS in that regard. Recovering drug users participate, for the most part, in special drugs-related CE projects, though some participate in mainstream CE schemes. The adjustments made for special drugs-related CE projects aim to facilitate the rehabilitation process.

The report of the working group on drugs rehabilitation, which was chaired by my Department and which reported in 2007, recognised the contribution made by CE and made a number of recommendations for improvement. These included a greater focus on the health and education requirements of participants, the expansion of the number of available places from 1,000 to 1,300 and greater inter-agency co-ordination to meet the overall needs of the participants.

Progress on these areas is being addressed through the national drugs rehabilitation implementation committee, NDRIC, chaired by the HSE and on which FÁS is represented. At the same time, FÁS has re-convened a CE working group on drugs-related projects, involving representatives of the various sectors who are working towards improving the overall outcomes for participants by having a sharper focus on inter-agency working, access to schemes, training and development opportunities, supervision ratios and opportunities for onward progression.

Special drugs-related CE projects are, of course, only one part of the rehabilitation effort. Effective delivery of rehabilitation requires an overall inter-agency approach based on a continuum of care that operates within the context of enhanced case management and a quality standards framework. It also involves addressing the broad needs of individuals, across medical support, training and employment, education, housing, prison-related issues and family-related issues. This broad approach is being encouraged through the work of the NDRIC, which has representatives of all relevant Departments and agencies, as well as the voluntary and community sectors. I have also established a residential rehabilitation group, chaired by my Department, to better co-ordinate the integration of the provision of residential rehabilitation services across the sectors.

Under the national drugs strategy 2009-2016, I will meet twice a year with a number of Ministers and various senior officials who are involved in implementing various key actions in the strategy. As part of my emphasis on rehabilitation, I will meet with both FÁS and the senior rehabilitation co-ordinator, who is based in the HSE, in this process. Last week I met with the director general of FÁS and had a very worthwhile exchange, with agreement on the need to focus on outcomes. I also met with the senior rehabilitation co-ordinator in the last few days and we discussed developments to date and approaches to expediting progress in the months ahead. Progress on rehabilitation will also figure prominently at the quarterly meetings of the oversight forum on drugs, which I chair. This forum will review progress across the strategy and will address any operational difficulties and blockages that arise. I believe that the structures we now have in place will facilitate significant progress on rehabilitation over the period of the strategy.

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