Results 1-20 of 202 for drugs speaker:Róisín Shortall

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (24 May 2011)

Róisín Shortall: In accordance with international conventions, medicinal products which are controlled drugs and which have the potential to be misused are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts and Regulations. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988 as amended place additional controls on the prescribing, dispensing, supply and possession of those prescription medicines which are controlled drugs. The...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (6 Dec 2011)

Róisín Shortall: In accordance with international conventions, medicinal products which have the potential to be misused are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts and Regulations. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations place strict controls on the prescribing, dispensing, supply and possession of those prescription medicines which are controlled. The problem of the misuse of prescription drugs has been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Availability (25 Sep 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The Government is committed to the objectives of the National Drugs Strategy and to continuing support for drug and alcohol addiction services across the country. Over €980,000 has been allocated from the Drugs Initiative of my Department this year to community drugs projects supported by the North East Regional Drugs Task Force. Details of the projects supported by the Task Force,...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (29 Sep 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I am informed that An Garda Síochána is aware of the misuse of prescribed drugs, most frequently in circumstances where illegal substances subject to the Misuse of Drugs Acts have become scarce due to law enforcement measures. Medicinal products which have the potential to be misused are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation. There are additional controls on the prescribing,...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (9 Feb 2012)

Róisín Shortall: At the outset, I would like to advise the Deputy that the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing Campaign has not been abolished. Rather, from 2012 onwards, the campaign will be promoted in partnership with CRIMESTOPPERS which will facilitate a more cost efficient approach. Up to the end of 2011, there were a number of phone lines available to report drug dealing activity, including the dedicated Dial to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 May 2011)

Róisín Shortall: Action 62 of the National Drugs Strategy (interim) 2009-2016 provides for a review of Drugs Task Forces, including inter alia, a review of their boundaries. The objective of the review is to ensure that maximum benefit is achieved from the activities of Drugs Task Forces, that best value is achieved from the financial and staff resources available, and that effort is targeted to maintain...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (27 Sep 2011)

Róisín Shortall: The institutional arrangements to support cross agency working, advise on operational and policy matters, assess progress across the National Drugs Strategy and address any operational difficulties include the Drugs Advisory Group and the Oversight Forum on Drugs. The Drugs Advisory Group has a specific mandate to oversee and support the work of the Drugs Task Forces. Drugs Task Forces play...

Written Answers — Controlled Drug Sales: Controlled Drug Sales (14 Jun 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176, 179 and 180 together. HSE expenditure on drugs and non-drug items (dressings, etc.) under the GMS and community drug schemes for the years 2007 to 2011, including mark ups and dispensing fees for pharmacists and wholesalers, is set out in the following table: 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Cost of drugs prescribed under the GMS and community drug schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Dealing (26 Sep 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The Deputy will be aware that the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing Campaign, which aims to provide a safe and confidential means for people to pass on information on drug dealing, has been in operation since September 2008. Following a review of the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing campaign, it was decided to put in place a more cost efficient approach to promoting the campaign in partnership with...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (6 Dec 2011)

Róisín Shortall: The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 sets out Government policy in dealing with the drugs problem under five pillars of Supply Reduction, Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation and Research. Significant progress has been made towards implementing the Actions of the Strategy and I intend to build on this progress. The Gardaí and Revenue's Customs Service have had considerable success in...

Community Employment Schemes (18 Jan 2012)

Róisín Shortall: .... I am aware of her active interest in this issue and I commend her on the work she is doing. We need more public representatives to get involved in addressing the many issues associated with drug misuse. I wish to stress that I am particularly focused on ensuring there is an increased emphasis on moving people from drug treatment to a drug-free lifestyle, where this is achievable. I am...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Jul 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 841 and 842 together. In furtherance of the National Drugs Strategy, my Department administers a Drugs Initiative, which primarily funds community based drugs initiatives supported by the Drugs Task Forces. The budget allocation and actual expenditure for the Drugs Initiative for each of the years referred to by the Deputy is set out in the table. Year...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (10 May 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) has begun to capture the hospital-based expenditure on the top eleven oncology (cancer) drugs as part of a plan to centralise the oncology drug budget. These eleven drugs comprise approximately 80% of oncology drug expenditure. It estimates that a total of €60million was spent on these eleven drugs during 2011. These figures are currently being...

Written Answers — Drugs Task Forces: Drugs Task Forces (15 Dec 2011)

Róisín Shortall: The role of Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces is to assess the extent and nature of the drug problem in their areas and co-ordinate action at local level in order to ensure a targeted response to the drug problem in local communities. With a view to strengthening their effectiveness, I have initiated a review of Drugs Task Forces and the National Drugs Strategy structures under which they...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Publication (26 Sep 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The National Drugs Strategy sets out drugs policy in Ireland for the period up to 2016. Drugs policy encompasses five pillars - supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research and clear actions are in place for implementation. I am satisfied that good progress is being made across the actions of the Strategy, with the involvement of the statutory, voluntary and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Funding (2 Oct 2014)

Róisín Shortall: 149. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the large cumulative cuts suffered by front-line drugs services since 2008 and the impact this has had on the ability of drugs task forces to maintain drugs services in their communities and to counter emerging drugs issues; if he will ensure that there are no further cuts in 2015; and if he will examine the possibility of...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (19 May 2011)

Róisín Shortall: With effect from 1 May 2011, functions relating to the co-ordination of the National Drugs Strategy, including responsibility for the Drugs Initiative budget transferred to the Department of Health and Children from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. In excess of €33m has been made available for the Drugs Initiative this year, of which €9.7m has been allocated...

Written Answers — Community Drugs Projects: Community Drugs Projects (25 Oct 2011)

Róisín Shortall: In excess of €30 million has been made available to Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces in 2011 for community based drugs initiatives in 2011. There were no cuts to Drugs Task Force funding during the course of the year and the allocation to each Drugs Task Force is set out in the following table. Local Drugs Task Forces 2011 Allocation € Ballyfermot 1,492,413 Ballymun 1,209,976...

Medicinal Products (16 May 2012)

Róisín Shortall: We must consider these matters in the context of the overall cost of the drugs budget. We spend about 16% of the health budget on drugs, which amounts to almost €2 billion. By any standard, that is a very high proportion and it is not sustainable into the future. That is why there is an onus on all of us to ensure we get better value for money in terms of drug costs. We all want to see...

Medicinal Products (16 May 2012)

Róisín Shortall: ...them. I will check and revert to the Deputy later in the day. I agree absolutely with the Deputy that we need to be very vigilant about the prices charged for medicines. In many cases where new drugs are coming onto the market, the suppliers have a monopoly. That is why we need very rigorous assessment of the value for money achieved in the prescribing of the drugs in question. We...