Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on a recent programme (details supplied) which highlighted the ease of availability of drugs on the streets here and the widespread demand for drugs; the steps he is taking to reduce the demand for drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24975/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The programme in question showed instances of the availability of drugs in a number of locations, indicating a level of demand for these drugs. However, I do not think it produced evidence of any new issues that we are not already aware of and that we are not currently working to address through the national drugs strategy.

In terms of robust evidence of the drug situation in Ireland, I would place much greater emphasis on the results of the All-Island Drug Prevalence Surveys, carried out in 2002-03 and 2006-07 by the national advisory committee on drugs, NACD, in conjunction with its colleagues in Northern Ireland. Comparisons between the two surveys indicate that the drug problem facing the country is changing to a degree.

Evidence from the first bulletin of the 2006-07 prevalence survey, launched in February 2008, indicates that while rates of lifetime and recent, last year, overall illegal drug misuse have increased, the level of current illegal drug use has stabilised. Bulletin 2 of the survey, which I launched yesterday, indicates there are variations between the different regions of the country, with prevalence rates tending to be higher across all age groups in the east, roughly from Dundalk to Cork.

The increase in lifetime use for all drugs was expected given that older people tend to have less exposure to and usage of drugs over their lifetimes and that illegal drug use is primarily a youth or younger adult phenomenon. Lifetime prevalence rates are likely to increase for a considerable period of time as older people, who have never encountered drugs, exit the survey cohort on reaching 65 years of age and are replaced by teenagers coming into the survey age range. The increase in last year use is of more concern and it emphasises the challenging task we continue to face in tackling problem drug use. Meanwhile, the overall stabilisation in last month use is to be welcomed and I am hopeful that, with the continuing valuable work being done through the national drugs strategy, this trend will continue.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

With respect to the suggested ease of availability, I emphasise that the Garda and the customs service of the Revenue Commissioners, as acknowledged in the programme, have been very successful in recent times in regard to the numbers of seizures they are making, the quantity of drugs being seized and number of convictions being obtained. This is reflected, for example, in the 125 kg of heroin seized last year by the Garda with seizures at a similar level continuing this year. Both these services are using an intelligence-led approach to interrupt supply.

I fully accept that our approach to tackling the drug problem must involve a combination of demand reduction and supply reduction measures. Our focus in terms of demand reduction is primarily on the areas of treatment, rehabilitation and prevention. It is clear from the research outcome study in Ireland, ROSIE, carried out by the NACD, that treatment has a direct impact on demand for drugs with a significant reduction in the usage of drugs reported by those entering and staying engaged in treatment. Overall numbers in treatment now stand at approximately 12,700, with 8,600 of those in receipt of methadone. Successful engagement with treatment not only has significant benefits for the individual but also for their families, their wider communities and for society at large. Meanwhile, we are progressing the implementation of the recommendations of the working group on drugs rehabilitation and I envisage significant progress in that regard in the coming years.

As regards prevention, the national drugs strategy has focused in particular on education initiatives such as Walk Tall and the social personal health programme, SPHE, which are now in place in all schools, at primary and second level. Last February, the HSE launched a new national drugs awareness campaign focused on cocaine. In this context, I am also now making funding of €500,000 available for awareness initiatives at drug task force level to dovetail with the campaign at national level. This initiative will augment the many existing drug task force projects that are focused on prevention. Furthermore, around €20 million in current and capital funding will be provided this year under the young people's facilities and services fund, which aims to divert ten to 21 year olds away from involvement with drugs.

Finally, as the Deputy is aware, the new national drugs strategy, which is being formulated for the period 2009-16, will continue to combine supply reduction and demand reduction measures, with the aim of achieving the optimum balance. I envisage that the new strategy will have a significant emphasis on prevention, combined with treatment and rehabilitation measures to aid those already involved with drugs. At the same time, the drugs problem is a global issue and there will always be a need to continue to have a focus on supply reduction.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, on his appointment and wish him well in his new portfolio, which is a very challenging one. I am sure he will approach it in his own capable way.

The matter in hand came to light through an excellent programme from the TV3 series, "Undercover Ireland" by Brian O'Donovan and subsequent articles in the Irish Independent and the Sunday Independent. As I understand it, there are two pillars under which drugs were to be challenged; one being a reduction in supply, with the second pillar relating to reducing the demand. The Garda is finding it difficult to tackle the first pillar but I congratulate it on the efforts it is making. The Government is failing badly in terms of creating greater awareness of drug use. We are not using the various groups of people that are available to help us to highlight the threat of drugs. Cocaine use has doubled since 2003 and one in four Irish adults takes drugs. The reality is that we are not winning the war on drugs and all the media messages we get tell us that. My contention is that we are not using the existing facilities and the people who can help to the best advantage. When or how will the Minister of State address the matter? Will he use all the national sporting organisations, local authorities and housing agencies to work together to highlight the drugs problem? Everything I see in the media currently contradicts the Minister of State's assertion that we are winning the war.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Wall for his kind comments at the outset. Prevention and awareness are two different aspects of the problem. We work with local authorities and sporting organisations. They play a key role, primarily from the point of view of being a deterrent. Local authorities work with soccer and GAA clubs, among other groups, through the young people's facilities and services fund on programmes that aim to divert young people away from drugs.

Awareness falls into a couple of main categories. Most of the awareness campaigns that we run are through the education system. I refer to the SPHE and the Walk Tall programmes in schools. In addition, we have run public awareness campaigns, for example, on cocaine. This year the Department will spend €500,000 through local drugs task forces to deal with the dangers of cocaine use in local projects. It is not fair to say we are not working with sporting organisations and national bodies. Perhaps the manner in which we work with them is not necessarily highlighted but the involvement is evident through the work of the local drugs task forces to help divert people away from the drug culture.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 3: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the public consultation process for the National Drugs Strategy 2009 to 2016 has been completed; the number of submissions received to date; the issues that have been highlighted by those participating in the consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25059/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Ring for asking this question because since I was landed into the Department, that is what I have been occupied with in recent weeks.

As part of the process of developing the next national drugs strategy to cover the period 2009 to 2016, the steering group chaired by my Department, which is overseeing the process, is currently completing a comprehensive series of consultation meetings. I am attending as many of those meetings as possible, as I see them as a key part of the process of developing a new strategy. The consultation process includes public consultation meetings at 15 locations nationally; written and e-mail submissions; meetings with relevant Departments and statutory agencies; meetings with key sectoral groups and organisations; focus group meetings; and engagement with the Oireachtas. All 15 public consultation meetings have now been held, with reports on all — except the final meeting in Croke Park — now available on my Department's website, www.pobail.ie. The report from this session will be available within the next week. The feedback received from attendees at those sessions has been favourable and people felt that there was good interaction, with ample opportunity to air their views and opinions.

The meetings sought to identify the concerns of individuals and communities on drugs, the successes of the existing strategy and the gaps that need to be addressed with a view to identifying what the main priorities should be for the new strategy. While there were interesting regional variations, there was a reasonably significant level of consistency in the views expressed at the meetings. Briefly, some of the concerns identified included the level of heroin use outside Dublin and the availability of drugs services generally outside Dublin, addiction to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the level of acceptance of alcohol abuse in Ireland and the importance of engaging and supporting families, as well as family intimidation in some communities from drug dealers.

In terms of what works well, the following are some of the issues that were identified, increased drug seizures; increased levels of funding that have been provided in recent years, particularly for community-based initiatives; integrated services — where they are in place they appear to work well; the community-partnership approach was also seen to work well; community employment schemes that target recovering drug users; and various individual initiatives in different areas. A number of priorities for the future were identified and they included prevention measures in out-of-school settings as well as in schools; and an increased range and availability of treatment services, with a continuum of care for individuals and an integrated multi-agency approach.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

They also include more widespread availability of methadone, with options to move on from this treatment; a greater focus on rehabilitation of problem drug users; more family support measures; and a more integrated approach to the problems of illicit drugs and alcohol, with some favouring a joint strategy.

With regard to the other elements of the consultation process, the Deputy should note that more than 120 submissions by e-mail and in writing have been received from various organisations and individuals. The closing date for receipt of submissions is next Monday, 30 June 2008.

Most of the meetings with Departments and agencies have been held at this stage, and the steering group has started to meet with key sectoral groups and focus groups. All in all, it is hoped to have the overall consultation process, which will involve about 45 meetings in total, completed by mid-July. Meanwhile, I encourage Oireachtas Members to make an input into the process in their capacity as elected representatives. I am conscious that the current strategy grew out of a political consensus in the late 1990s and I would welcome a continuation of that broad approach. Last week, I attended a debate in the Seanad that afforded Senators an opportunity to contribute to the process and I will meet with the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on 24 September to hear the views of its members. The views of Deputies and Senators will continue to be welcome as the strategy is formulated in the coming months. Following the end of the overall consultation process, work on the finalisation of proposals will continue with a view to having a new strategy developed by the end of the year.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Deputy Curran and wish him well on his appointment. He has a very challenging time ahead given what we heard from the report of the national advisory committee yesterday. The percentage of people in the west of Ireland using drugs has increased from 12.5% in 2002 and 2003 to 23%. On the east coast 38% of people are using drugs. The most staggering results that emerged yesterday is that 50% of young people in Ireland admitted to taking drugs compared with 40% of young people in America. We have a more serious problem than America. Did we ever think we would see the day?

When will the draft strategy begin in earnest and when will it be in place? Seven locations in the midlands have no drug treatment services. What will be done to address that gap? What does the Department propose to do about the Health Service Executive's cutbacks? Will the Department have discussions with the Department of Health and Children? What services will be provided between now and the end of the year to deal with the current crisis in drug taking?

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. The figures to which he referred are lifetime figures for anyone who has ever used a drug and they do not accurately represent what is happening. We are more concerned with the figures for last month or last year. I accept the point Deputy Ring made about the trend increasing outside the Dublin area. The figures in the report published yesterday are very important because they also identify the different types of drug that are being used in different parts of the country.

The consultation process is ongoing and we hope to conclude it by mid-July or the end of the month. Apart from the public consultation meetings that took place prior to my appointment, I have attended many of the meetings. The HSE is a key element in the equation. We have met with the HSE and will meet with it again. The role of the Department and my role as Minister of State is to co-ordinate the entire programme. There are more than two pillars and more than a handful of service providers and that requires a co-ordinated approach. The consultation process is due to finish before the summer. The strategy is aimed at the period 2009 to 2016 and we hope it will be published sometime early next year.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned about the lack of detox beds. There is no dedicated service in Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary north and Westmeath and something needs to be done. We have a problem because the HSE is cutting back. We need more treatment services because there is currently a lack of services. I need a commitment from the Minister of State that he will talk to the HSE because when the Dáil closes down on 10 July it will make more cutbacks. Something needs to be done. There is no point pretending we do not have a problem. We did that for too long. We have a serious drug problem and we need to tackle it. The previous national drugs strategy did not work and we need to implement the recommendations now to address the crisis that affects all sections of society. The Garda needs to target some high profile people and bring them to court to show young people that it is not trendy to take drugs.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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It is not a fair comment that the current national drugs strategy has not worked. Perhaps aspects of it did not work but, nonetheless, significant successes are apparent. On the Deputy's specific request, we are engaged in ongoing discussions with the HSE, and not just in the Deputy's area, as the strategy is a national one. However, the Deputy's points are well made and were reflected in the consultation meetings we have had.