John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I hope I will come in to land on time. As my colleagues have said, we welcome this motion from Independents 4 Change. I welcome the funding. The Minister of State is clearly committed to this although this is three years into the term of a Government in which no major additional funding has been allocated. Since the Minister of State is familiar with this area, how would she expect a household to survive in 2018 on its 2013 budget? That is what we have asked the drugs task forces to do in recent years. The Minister of State is aware of the number of functions that a number of us serve. As Deputy O'Brien said, I am on the Tallaght drugs and alcohol task force. The range of measures or areas that they take control of or attempt to address with a minuscule budget includes crack cocaine issues, family support service, homeless services, prevention and education, and crimestopper schemes. They never received any additional funding for alcohol services. In the Tallaght area, an increase in the use of crack cocaine and cannabis has been observed, especially among young people. That alcohol issue is significant and growing. We also try to look after the needs of families as well as possible in that task force and to provide the support that they need, especially where families have a member who is in trouble with the drugs issue.

I want to reinforce the point made by my colleague, Deputy Curran. It is ironic that the Minister of State will invite submissions from the drugs task forces and invite them in to chat along with the HSE. There is an issue with statutory agencies turning up to the drugs task force in my area. I think the Minister of State needs to address that. She has the power to do it. I compliment Superintendent Ian Lackey in Tallaght Garda station, who attends most of our drugs task force meetings.

Representatives of the HSE and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection are not great attendees. There is no representative either from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs or the Department of Education and Skills. They are critical players, but they do not seem to think they have a role to play in the month to month running of these organisations, although they have a say in their oversight and where the money is to be spent.

Yesterday the Minister of State announced funding of €1 million. She will invite the groups in by the end of March, but it will be the end of April or into May before she decides on what to spend the money. That leaves five or six months left this year. Will every cent of the €1 million be drawn down in 2019? We want a commitment in that regard.

The Minister of State also intends to develop two new schemes. She says there is funding of €250,000 available for one of them. That works out at approximately €10,000 for each of the drugs task forces. It is not much, but it is welcome. She has given no figure for the "targeted, appropriate and effective services for young people at risk of substance abuse, focused on disadvantaged areas" about which she talks.

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