Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter. I am aware of her active interest in this issue and I commend her on the work she is doing. We need more public representatives to get involved in addressing the many issues associated with drug misuse.

I wish to stress that I am particularly focused on ensuring there is an increased emphasis on moving people from drug treatment to a drug-free lifestyle, where this is achievable. I am on record for expressing, on a number of occasions, my belief and concern that too many people get stuck in methadone treatment without the existence of a clear pathway towards recovery. I am anxious to restore the principle of recovery in our treatment services for drug misusers. We should aim towards recovery and a drug-free lifestyle to the greatest extent possible. There has been insufficient focus on this ambitious goal in the past and we must redouble our efforts to present drug users with opportunities to achieve a life without drugs.

The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 and the earlier report of the working group on drugs rehabilitation emphasise the need for our response to be client-centred. We must endeavour to provide a "continuum of care" for problem drug users to enable them to address their health needs, as well as their general social, housing, educational and employment needs. As Deputy O'Sullivan knows, often the shortcomings have been in the education that has been available to the individual concerned. There are a number of indicators for what predisposes people to drug misuse, and educational disadvantage is a key one.

Drug-specific community employment schemes have made a significant contribution to the broad rehabilitation effort and I acknowledge the role played by FÁS in this regard over the years. This special programme is part of the integrated effort to facilitate and support participants in their ongoing recovery from problem drug use. The programme aims to enable those affected by substance misuse to address those problems through helping to provide more structure to their lives and giving them opportunities to improve their skills.

I assure the Deputy that drug-specific CE schemes continue to play a critical part in the drug rehabilitation effort. I intend to put a renewed emphasis on the area of rehabilitation. The nine-point special conditions for the delivery of the drugs rehabilitation CE places were revised a year ago to ensure consistent and appropriate referral, delivery and implementation in regard to the projects involved. One aim of this process is to ensure that there is a consistent and integrated approach nationally to the referral of people to these CE opportunities.

In the context of the recent budget, I wrote to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, emphasising the importance of drug-specific CE schemes in the effort to facilitate rehabilitation from drug use and pointing out that the designation of the 1,000 places involved is made in recognition of the fact that recovering drug users are not, initially in any case, facilitated by a direct labour market mechanism to the same extent as are those in mainstream CE. I subsequently met with the Minister, Deputy Burton, and she is fully aware of the importance of the role that CE schemes play in the provision of crucial social services in communities, and of the particular needs in regard to drug rehabilitation.

The Minister has asked that an initial review of all CE schemes be undertaken by the end of March. In the meantime, no CE schemes will close and any difficulties arising regarding the funding of individual schemes will be addressed. I will continue to work closely with the Minister, Deputy Burton, as will our respective officials, to ensure that the special place of the ring-fenced drug-specific CE places is protected and adequately funded into the future. I am confident such schemes will continue to be a very beneficial part of the drugs rehabilitation effort.

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