Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In my letter to Mr. Sargent in January, I indicated my stance on the proposal. In so far as I understand the proposal, as it has been explained by the Deputy and as I have seen in the correspondence, I believe it has considerable merit on the face of it. However, I will not pre-empt any decision we might be in a position to make once a decision is made by the drugs task force. It is a matter in the first instance for the local drugs task force to decide to consider the proposal. As the Deputy will appreciate, we rely very considerably on the local drugs task forces, which have local knowledge owing to their being embedded in their communities. For many years, the value of local drugs task forces has been the local and community connection. I rely and must rely on their expertise and sense of community priorities, as does the Department. I want to see what the local drugs task force has to say about this in the first instance before indicating anything further, other than to say that I will consider the matter when it arises.

The Deputy will appreciate that I have an annual allocation for the drugs strategy. The great bulk of it goes to local and regional drugs task forces. The amount of money is finite. I, no more than any other Minister, cannot create resources where they do not exist but I am very strongly committed to our ongoing work in the area of drugs misuse, particularly the community dimension. I will certainly do anything I can do to enhance and assist the work of local projects through the local drugs task forces.

The Deputy asked about alcohol. The Tánaiste and Taoiseach have indicated to the House that work in respect of the proposals for a public health (alcohol) Bill has been progressing. I have had a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. There was a lengthy discussion on this issue at a meeting of the Cabinet committee on social policy a couple of weeks ago. Work is progressing very well. As a relatively new Minister of State, I am learning that it is not always best to specify a particular date by which something will happen because inevitably slippages occur in the management of Government business. I am hopeful, however, that we can bring the finalised proposals for a decision to the Cabinet during March. If this does not occur in March, it should happen at some time early in April.

The question of a minimum alcohol price will feature prominently in the proposals and, I hope, the decisions to be made by the Government.

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