Results 2,121-2,140 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is nothing startling in what the Commissioner is reported to have said. I have said the same several times. In any case, the comment was not in his official speech of which I have a copy. He may well have said it in a newspaper interview but there is nothing terribly new about it. We all accept that illegal drugs have spread throughout the country. That is why we have regional drugs...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Garda Síochána stresses that all members of the force are engaged in the effort against drug misuse. In addition, each division has a drugs plan and a drugs unit. It is for the Garda to manage its own resources. While many small stations might have only a couple of gardaí——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Each division has a drugs unit and a drugs plan. Gardaí have all the necessary resources. At the end of the year there will be 14,000 gardaí and while Members claim they are not based in their areas, they must be somewhere as they are on the payroll. Given last week's figures, we may soon be accused of being over-policed or a police state. The Garda Síochána insists that gardaí are...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am sure Balbriggan was once upon a time under consideration for a local drugs task force. I have met people in Drogheda and Balbriggan who are doing good work. I am sure the groups there now come under the north-east drugs task force. There are different levels. Much of the original strategy and local drugs task force plans dealt with people at disadvantaged level. There are other groups...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: In response to Deputy Crowe, the services are being rolled out. Approximately €70 million per annum worth of services which began at local drugs task force level are now being rolled out. Over 600 people——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The methadone service may not be available everywhere because it is for the HSE to set it up. However, it is being set up. There are approximately 8,000 people on methadone and some 450 of these are outside Dublin. A couple of years ago hardly any drug user outside Dublin was on methadone and those who wanted it had to come to Dublin. It takes time to get the local doctors on level 1——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The services are spreading to the Leinster towns but it takes time to train and upskill doctors who want to be at level 1 or level 2 to deal with drug users.

Local Authority Housing. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I will outline to the House the plans we have to amend and update existing housing legislation as part of a programme to reform the social housing sector. My Department is drafting the heads of a housing miscellaneous provisions Bill to give effect to the policy initiatives set out in Housing Policy Framework — Building Sustainable Communities,...

Local Authority Housing. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: It would be wrong to give encouragement that the flat prices involved will be at 1988 or 1998 prices. We have a tenant purchase scheme which is under consideration in the wider manner, but we are talking of taxpayer money and though we would like to give things away, we cannot do so. The fundamentals of the scheme would involve prices very near open market value. It is a case of how one...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I take it that the Deputy is referring to my recent announcements of allocations totalling over €4m for projects and initiatives under the Emerging Needs and Young People's Facilities and Services Funds. The Emerging Needs Fund was devised to provide a flexible and timely response to evolving needs in regard to drug misuse in Local Drugs Task Force areas. My recent announcement involved...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Working Group on Rehabilitation was established in September 2005 and includes representatives from a range of Government Departments and Agencies involved in delivering rehabilitation services, as well as representatives from the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST), the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) and the Community and Voluntary sectors. The terms of reference of the...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Under the Health Act, 2004, the management and delivery of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Services Executive. My Department has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The National Drugs Strategy Team is a cross-departmental Team involving Departments (including the Department of...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Gardaí confirm that there has been a growth in the amount of cocaine and cannabis seized so far this year. I congratulate the Gárdaí on their success in that regard, including recent seizures in Cork and Dublin, and on their significant on-going contribution to disrupting the sale of illegal drugs in this State. Supply reduction is one of the cornerstones of the National Drugs Strategy...

Written Answers — Community Grants: Community Grants (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Programme of Grants for Locally-Based Community and Voluntary Organisations consists of three schemes, the first of which makes funds available for small scale refurbishments of the premises of locally-based Community and Voluntary Organisations. This is complemented by a second scheme to provide for the purchase of essential equipment including I.T. equipment. The third scheme provides...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 87, 104, 112, 122 and 125 together. A sub group of the National Drugs Strategy Team was established in 2004 to make proposals in relation to combating cocaine abuse. As part of its recommendations the subgroup proposed funding to support four pilot treatment projects. The four projects deal with the following cohorts of cocaine users: intravenous cocaine...

Written Answers — Drug Use Prevalence: Drug Use Prevalence (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 84 together. The National Advisory Committee on Drugs and the Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit (Northern Ireland) commissioned the first Drug Prevalence Survey, the purpose of which was to establish the population prevalence of drug use on the island of Ireland, in 2002/2003. This study surveyed over 8,000 people aged 15-64 in Ireland and...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Question Numbers 60 and 68 of 21st March 2006 and to Question Number 913 of 25th January 2006. I have no plans to change the position as outlined in those replies.

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question Number 148 of 9th March 2006 relating to ownership of dormant accounts and to my earlier reply to Question Number 913 of 25th January 2006 concerning funding for vulnerable Irish communities abroad. Under the Dormant Accounts Acts 2001-2005 information regarding those who opened accounts that have been deemed dormant accounts is maintained by the...

Written Answers — Drugs Awareness Programme: Drugs Awareness Programme (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department was not consulted or involved in any way in relation to the booklet to which the Deputy refers. Furthermore, no funding was allocated by my Department for its production or distribution. I understand that the booklet in question was produced on a private basis, with local businesses being invited to sponsor its distribution in local schools in return for an acknowledgement in...

Written Answers — Drugs Awareness Programme: Drugs Awareness Programme (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The actions outlined in the National Drugs Strategy pertaining to the education system have been progressed with the significant input of the Department of Education and Science. Officials of the Minister for Education and Science sit on the Regional and Local Drug Task Forces, the National Drugs Strategy Team and the Inter-Departmental Group on Drugs, illustrating the degree of co-operation...