Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy and I will have to agree to disagree. I do not believe we need a national campaign. As I said, there is a lot happening in this area.

The Deputy raised a number of issues in regard, in particular, to the task forces. Since 2008, funding has been reduced. We all acknowledge that but it is important to focus on the present rather than the past. We are working to fill the gaps in the drugs task forces. The level of funding has improved on what it was five or six years ago. As I said, there are a lot of initiatives happening. I agree with Deputy Curran that we need to target the funding to the right areas but I do not agree with him on the need for a multiannual educational awareness campaign because I think that is already happening through the Department of Education and Skills and other agencies and the oversight forum, of which I am member and into which all Departments have an input. There are many projects of work happening within the CHO areas under the auspices of the Departments of Education and Skills and Health and from across the board. The Departments and community groups are taking a multifaceted approach to how we can highlight the concerns around drugs issues. There is an obligation not only on politicians but on communities to make young people aware of what drugs and alcohol can do to them not only now but into the future.

The lapsed early warning and emerging trends network, which advised the Government on exchange information and new psychoactive substances, has been re-established and it is starting to make progress. There is a lot going on. I will talk to the Deputy at length about his question in the near future.

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