Results 1,101-1,120 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (18 Dec 2008)
John Curran: This year, the budget for community-based initiatives in the Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas, including funding for new cocaine and rehabilitation measures introduced during the year, will come to nearly â¬34.8m. Funding for 2009 is approximately â¬34.6m, which is a minor reduction of 0.5% on the 2008 allocation from my Department.
- Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: He did.
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: This Department's recent progress report in relation to the Programme for Government can be accessed on the Department of the Taoiseach's website at: http://193.178.1.117/attached The up-dated position in relation to the commitments referred to by the Deputy in his question is as follows: The Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation made a series of recommendations for the...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: This Department's recent progress report in relation to the Programme for Government can be accessed on the Department of the Taoiseach's website at: http://193.178.1.117/attached In relation to the commitments referred to by the Deputy, the following is the position: Funding in 2008 has enabled further progress towards the full implementation of the plans of the ten Regional Drugs Task...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 894, 897 and 909 together. Under the National Drugs Strategy, the Premises Initiative Fund provides capital funding to assist community-based projects in both Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas to address their accommodation needs. In some cases, the funding is allocated to purchase premises, while in others, it is used towards the costs involved in...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: This Government is firmly committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse in our society. This is evidenced by the fact that the funding targeted at community-based initiatives funded through my Department's Vote doubled from 2003 to 2008 â from â¬31.5m over â¬64m. The relative reduction in the 2009 funding allocation to my Department for the drugs initiatives must, therefore, be viewed...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Jan 2009)
John Curran: As the Deputy may be aware, the Dial-to-Stop Drug Dealing Campaign was officially launched on 30th September 2008. The initiative involves a number of local and regional campaigns that will be run through the mechanism of the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. The campaigns are being designed to encourage people to provide any information they may have on drug dealing â anonymously if...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (28 Jan 2009)
John Curran: Funding for Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas in 2009 will be approximately â¬34.6m. Of this amount, over â¬23m is being allocated to the Local Drugs Task Forces while over â¬11m is being earmarked for the Regional Task Forces. Projects have already been approved funding for the first six months of 2009 and the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST) will be reviewing this...
- The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I wish to share my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and I recognise this is the most serious issue to be dealt with by Members since I entered this House. At the outset, I wish to express my disagreement with the previous speaker, Deputy Burton, who stated that Fianna Fáil mismanagement caused this crisis. For...
- Drugs Task Forces. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: A total of 14 local drugs task forces, LDTFs, are in operation, 12 of which are located in Dublin while the others are in Bray and Cork. The rest of the country is covered by ten regional drugs task forces, RDTFs. I have no plans to increase the number of LDTFs. From time to time during the extensive public consultation process undertaken in connection with the preparation of the new...
- Drugs Task Forces. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: To reiterate, I inherited the situation and the public consultation was half over before I took up my position. I checked and it did not arise as a significant issue. The Deputy will be aware that while we have regional task forces, in some cases there are sub-committees on a county by county basis. If there were to be more task forces, we might lose sight of what we are trying to deliver....
- Drugs Task Forces. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: The Deputy is right. At the public consultation meetings, the average number present was about 100, although I do not have the precise figures. Many of those attending obviously had an interest. They were either involved in providing the services, had family links or there was an area of particular interest for them. However, the process went further than just public consultation. We met...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: My Department co-ordinated the Irish input into the development of the EU Drugs Action Plan 2009-2012 which was finalised late last year. Problem drug use is a global phenomenon and, in this context, it is important that we take an international perspective. Engagement at EU level is important and various Departments and agencies, as well as representatives of civil society in more recent...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: To refer to the particular project we visited, it shows the inter-agency approach and the effectiveness of a number of agencies where 40 out of 50 people recovering from addiction and in rehabilitation are learning a skill with the real prospect of going to employment. Deputy Byrne mentioned the cuts and I will be as direct as I can. For the five year period from 2003 to 2008, the allocation...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: Depending on who one speaks to there are 8,000 or 9,000 people on methadone treatments of one type or another. In recent weeks I met with the HSE to examine this issue. I am no different from the Deputy in that I meet families of people on methadone and I am concerned that people are on methadone for too long. For some people there might be no alternative but I am not satisfied that we...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 22 together. A steering group, chaired by my Department, is currently developing proposals on a new national drugs strategy covering the period 2009 to 2016. I expect to receive its proposals and recommendations by the end of March and I will then consider them before seeking Government approval for a new strategy. An extensive consultation...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I will first address the alcohol issue as it has provoked a great deal of discussion. The reality is that alcohol and drug use are closely linked. In terms of the services provided by the statutory agencies, the HSE, clinics and so forth and education programmes, many of them already focus on drug and alcohol use. The exact relationship between the two and how it will be defined in the new...
- School Services Staff. (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. The Minister is aware that the task force on the physical sciences recommended in 2002 the provision of laboratory assistants to schools as part of a strategy to strengthen the implementation of the physical sciences in schools. At the time this was costed at â¬18.8...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 37 together. This Government is firmly committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse in our society. This is evidenced by the fact that the funding targeted at community-based initiatives funded through my Department's Vote doubled from 2003 to 2008 â from â¬31.5m over â¬64m. The relative reduction in the 2009 funding allocation to my Department...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (29 Jan 2009)
John Curran: At the outset, I want to put on record that I do not accept that there has been a deterioration of the partnership process under the National Drugs Strategy. Co-operation across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors has been a constant feature throughout the lifetime of the current Strategy. This is illustrated through many formal structures, such as inter-sectoral representation on...