Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Cregan for raising this important matter and I hope to address his concerns. My Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the national drugs strategy 2009-2016. Solid progress is being made on the implementation of the various actions of the strategy across its five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. This is in line with the Government's commitment to address problem drug use in Ireland in the most comprehensive way possible.

One of the recent highlights was the introduction of regulations by my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, under the Misuse of Drugs Acts that make the possession and sale of a wide range of psychoactive substances illegal and subject to criminal sanctions. In addition, legislation is being drafted by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that will make it a criminal offence to sell or supply substances that are not prohibited under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but which have psychoactive effects on humans.

The Garda Síochána and the Customs Service continue to prioritise the targeting of those involved in the supply of drugs and I congratulate them on their recent successes in this area, both nationally and abroad.

From 2002 up to 2009, approximately €197 million has been made available for drugs initiatives funded by my Department, in the main through the 14 local and the ten regional drugs task forces. In 2009, some 340 projects under the local drugs task forces were supported to the value of almost €22 million. Approximately €10 million was expended to support 146 projects in regional drugs task force areas. Further funding in 2009 also supported 14 cocaine-specific projects, with an allocation of approximately €0.55 million; ten rehabilitation-specific projects, with an allocation of €0.35 million; and three drug-related projects dealing with homeless people, which received an allocation of 0.46 million.

In addition, capital expenditure of almost €2.12 million in 2009 supported six large scale projects, predominantly in the regional drugs task force areas, including targeted funding for Limerick city. In 2010, in excess of €31 million in current funding is being made available to fund the activities of the task forces, of which approximately €21 million is being allocated to the local task forces and €10 million to the regional task forces. This funding will support some 500 initiatives that the task forces have prioritised for investment in their respective areas. In addition, recently I announced that funding of €600,000 is being made available for small-scale capital projects in the task force areas, building on the success of a similar initiative in 2009. Applications for funding from my Department are made through the relevant local or regional drugs taskforce.

It is a matter for each taskforce to decide which projects to fund, based on agreed priorities for their areas and within the overall budget available to them. During 2010, in light of the economic climate, all taskforces, including the mid west regional drugs taskforce, were asked to identify savings across their areas of responsibility. I appreciate that there have been difficult choices to make but each drugs taskforce is required to work within their allocated budgets.

The overall funding for the taskforces this year is less than it was in 2009. In response to the reduced budget, the mid west regional drugs task force withdrew funding to projects that did not have a pay element from January to June 2010 and continued to fund projects with pay costs until the end of June 2010. During this period, an independent evaluation of all projects was carried out to ascertain the best practices and the best use of resources.

Independent consultants carried out the evaluation which was in two parts. First, it addressed the key actions for the taskforce and how they were being addressed and re-assessed the mid-west regional drugs taskforce's priorities into specific actions under the five pillars of the national drugs strategy 2009-16. Second, it assessed all funded projects for their appropriateness, best practice and value for money.

Arising from the evaluation, eight projects were not recommended for continued funding. In regard to the seven projects, including the ones mentioned by Deputy Cregan, the evaluation recommended a re-configuration of this youth intervention to a central project to ensure better co-ordination, specialist support and intervention and best value for money. These projects will not be funded after the end of June 2010 but youth services will be brought together to develop one re-configured project to address this need. Two working groups have been set up by the taskforce to identify key priorities for education-prevention and for treatment-rehabilitation in accordance with the evaluation findings.

It was agreed that all of the existing funded youth projects be invited to participate in this process. I understand that both groups came together at the end of May and put a joint proposal to the taskforce to put in place a substance misuse team which will address the prevention and treatment actions for the under 18s. The taskforce agreed this proposal and is costing the proposal at present.

Through my co-ordination role across the strategy, Deputy Cregan will appreciate that I am working hard to ensure that the optimum use is made of the available resources, which will again total a substantial amount. As part of this, every effort will be made to protect front-line services to the greatest extent possible. I am satisfied that the investment being made, including the approximately €1.6million made available to the mid west regional drugs task force in 2010, will continue to address problem drug use in a meaningful and real way and will protect front-line services to the greatest extent possible.

I am well aware of the work being done by the taskforces and I am satisfied that they continue to make a positive impact on the drugs problem in Ireland. I undertake to have this issue examined in greater detail and I will communicate with the Deputy shortly. I hope to meet some members of that regional drugs task force fairly soon and I will get an update.

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