Dáil debates

Thursday, 3 April 2008

Other Questions

Departmental Advertising.

4:00 pm

Photo of Jim O'KeeffeJim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the policy initiatives or campaigns that have recently been introduced to raise awareness of the dangers of drug use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12333/08]

Photo of Pat CareyPat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Last February, I launched the national awareness campaign on drugs, "The Party's Over". This campaign was developed by the Health Service Executive, HSE, in consultation with many of the key Departments and agencies involved in tackling problem drug use, including my Department.

The campaign was developed with the intention that it will be sustainable over the next three years. In the first phase, the primary aim is to communicate the dangers of cocaine use, with a particular focus on so-called recreational cocaine users in the 15-34 year age group. The campaign is utilising appropriate media, such as social network websites, billboard and bus advertising as well as radio advertising to target this age group, and this approach will be continued.

The health promotion unit of the HSE has also published two leaflets "Know The Facts About Drugs" and "Cocaine — the Facts" to accompany the campaign. A drugs information website www.drugs.ie has also been developed and launched in conjunction with the campaign.

In this context, it is worth noting that many of the local and regional drugs task forces already have in place a number of valuable initiatives, including events such as awareness weeks. Such initiatives have proven to be effective as many of them focus on issues that are particular to their localities.

In addition, it should be noted that I have secured funding this year for initiatives to tackle the cocaine problem. As part of this, cocaine awareness campaigns at a more local and regional level — to dovetail with this national campaign — will be developed over the coming months by the drugs task forces. In the past two weeks we called for local campaign proposals to be forwarded, through task forces, to me.

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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How much exactly did "The Party's Over" campaign cost? Although I do not like saying so, I was disappointed with the advertisements. At a time when there was never as much talk about drugs, we never had as many crises about drugs and we never had as many people dying from drugs, the campaign was too light. I thought that we would have a campaign such as that for drink driving in which there would be a positive effect where people would see what happens.

It is one thing to have an awareness campaign, but it must be effective and I felt that this campaign was not. I want to know how much we paid for it. Personally, I was disappointed with the way that this was rolled out. I would hope that future campaigns will be more striking and convincing and get the message across.

Is this campaign being brought to the schools, to the colleges and onto the streets with public meetings? It is far more effective to bring it into the schools and to the colleges and to call public meetings to show what is happening.

Photo of Pat CareyPat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The sum of €600,000 was set aside by the HSE for the campaign. The campaign was developed arising from an evaluation of the previous campaigns which were found to be less than effective because they were not focused enough, etc. I am advised that the deficiencies, such as they were, in the previous campaigns were taken account of. The HSE, along with our Department, will be carrying out an evaluation of the campaign.

One must bear in mind that the campaign, both local and national, will run for a three-year period. The local campaigns, which will involve long-term interventions as well as simply advertising awareness, will cost of the order of €2 million over the next three years. Separately, the Department of Education and Science and other agencies are working on awareness campaigns.

As to whether they are hard-hitting enough, I would not disagree with Deputy Ring. For example, one music magazine, which I will not name but which most people will know, produced a good specific issue on the drug culture. It submitted to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and to RTE what I regarded as a hard-hitting, but not offensive, advertising DVD which in both cases, I understand, was ruled to be in poor taste, and only a much more modified version of the advertisement was allowed to be broadcast. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to gauge how hard-hitting one can be.

I note Deputy Ó Snodaigh is here. He and I were at a seminar this morning organised by Merchants Quay Ireland where a publication on needle exchange programmes was launched which, in itself, is hard-hitting and will probably be disturbing. No doubt certain persons will find it necessary to complain about how blunt are the messages in that booklet. Frankly, we cannot have it both ways. We either get the message across clearly and bluntly, or we can pussyfoot around for ever and not be able to tackle the problem.

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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The war against drugs will only be won if families can be linked into tackling societal problems regarding drug barons etc. I fully support Deputy Ring's comments that initiatives such as this must be directed towards primary and secondary school pupils and developed subsequently through the children's parents. What will be done in this regard? Moreover, during Question Time and in committee meetings on previous occasions, I raised with the Minister of State the use of national sport and recreation organisations. In tandem with parents, such organisations should be used to demonstrate alternatives, to show the enjoyment people can derive from activities that are not associated with drugs and that another world is there for young people that is highly entertaining and enjoyable. The Minister should try to ascertain how young people can be directed towards such activities because repeatedly hitting them with a constant barrage in this regard simply becomes repetitive and does not provide the involvement that people seek.

I recall holding a meeting in Athy on drug misuse that parents simply did not wish to attend. They did not want it known that they had attended such a meeting. People have fears in this regard and members of the Garda have confirmed this to me. They stated that people are wary of attending such meetings because were they to be seen, people might think that someone belonging to them was involved with drugs. The Minister of State should indicate ways in which he can use the more than 1,000 recreational associations in Ireland to provide alternatives to young people, involving families, which will make the difference.

Photo of Pat CareyPat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I completely agree with Deputy Wall. The practice in most recovery programmes now is that families are involved in the entire process from the time the misuser engages with the service right through the continuum of care. The Deputy probably is aware of the family support network, of which there are 150 to 180 units in different parts of the country that carry out very good work. Last Friday I visited Limerick and sat in on a training programme that was being carried out there by the Strengthening Families programme, which is an American-based programme from the University of Utah. It is being rolled out in 18 different counties, mainly through the national youth organisations that are partially funded by the Department. I also am anxious to engage with the sports bodies. As the Deputy probably is aware, some sports development offices are co-funded by the Department and local authorities, as well as by the sports bodies, which are carrying out extremely good work in the preventative area. For example, last Thursday I launched what I consider to be an extremely effective campaign by Galway United Football Club called Give Drugs the Boot. Unfortunately, the club appears to have given the manager the boot the next day.

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is right.

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Deputy Michael D. Higgins is the president.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That club has a distinguished president.

Photo of Pat CareyPat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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It has. Unfortunately, he was unable to be present that evening.

To be serious, the club, which is grounded in the community, is going around different parts of Galway and its hinterland holding a premiership-type fun event. It will engage people in that fashion. Its players and supporters are involved and the business community also is closely involved in driving the programme. Furthermore, my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher, held a meeting earlier today with the GAA pertaining to the alcohol issue, a field in which I believe there is considerable room for co-operation between various Departments.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Although we are well over time, I will allow Deputy Ó Snodaigh to ask a question.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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On the point made by the Minister of State, Members should praise all those groups that have taken the initiative. While some have done so of their own volition, money should be available to others to allow them to organise awareness campaigns. Although the Minister announced €2 million in funding for awareness campaigns, I believe this merely constitutes a drop in the ocean. What steps has he taken to ensure the sourcing of more money to gain access to schools, sports clubs, social venues and professional bodies with material that is relevant to them? There should be shock tactics, if necessary, in advertisements and the like. What additional money is available? Although the €2 million allocated by the Minister of State probably has already been committed, if this programme is to be rolled out over three years, a continuous campaign will be required. How will the Minister do that? The message will remain the same but it must be continually changed and revised.

Photo of Pat CareyPat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The awareness campaign is an integral part of the national drug strategy and constitutes one of its five pillars. I am determined to continue to fund initiatives. The sum of €2 million is intended for local awareness campaigns and I await the submission of proposals from all parts of the country. I expect they will be highly innovative and a number of groups have spoken to me in this regard. It is not always down to cost as effectiveness probably is as important. Certainly however, money will be available in the area of cocaine in particular. Moreover, the area of poly-drug use is developing because Irish people appear to be interested in mixing their drugs.