Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the debate, which is long overdue. I agree that it is the job of the Opposition to be critical of various things we do. However, it is important to bear in mind that we are opening up this debate to the public. We are reviewing the current strategy, which is a good thing. I attended some of the strategy meetings myself, and one aspect of the working group was to examine what is working and what is not working. The aspect that continues to be relevant is the operation and effectiveness of the structures involved. They are very important. People now see that good work has been done in various communities down through the years. Nowhere was worse affected by the drugs problem than certain areas of Dublin, such as the north inner city and Dún Laoghaire, and telling me how to deal with drugs is preaching to the converted.

It is not an easy subject. Money is not the be-all and end-all. It is good from a budgeting point of view for delivering services in certain areas, but the big problem in many cases is the money available to young people who are able to buy these drugs. That is one of the issues we must tackle. Family is the basis for the social behaviour of young people who get involved in drugs. I believe that families must be responsible and take into consideration that ten to 20 year olds are liable to get involved with drugs. When the family unit works strongly together, these are the people who are taken into consideration. This is one of the ways in which we can confront the drug addiction problem.

The Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs, Deputy Barry Andrews, has several projects which deal with young people and tackling behavioural problems which in part may lead to substance abuse. This must be tackled and it cannot be left unchecked. We must consider what programmes are to be delivered by the Minister of State.

Home life is very important. Young people are affected by seeing the abuse of prescription drugs in the home. Even the local GP who dishes out prescriptions willy-nilly is implicated. This is highly relevant. Drugs are left around the house, unprotected, and young people will get involved. Alcohol is not a prescription drug but it is also abused within the home. There is no control and it is not kept under lock and key by parents, and young people have access to it. The family is the most important thing in the fight against the drug culture. The mid-term review of the national drugs strategy suggested building on the role of families in the rehabilitation process. We must give these families the help they require.

With regard to the prevention pillar of the national drug strategy, the Government has enjoyed some success in the area of social, personal and health education, including the Walk Tall programme mentioned by my colleague. Government has also acted swiftly on the recommendations of the alcohol advisory group and has introduced the Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008, which tackles the sale and consumption of drink by strengthening the powers of the Garda to confiscate drink and controlling the physical environment of shops in which alcohol is sold. This is a vital first step. Alcohol is a gateway drug that leads to abuse of other drugs such as amphetamines. Nine thousand members of the public, which is a significant number, visit our accident and emergency departments every year due to the effects of alcohol. We must deal with this. I would also go further and advise that a heavy excise duty be put on alcohol, alcopops, "baggies" and cigarettes. This would certainly help reduce their use among some young people who can readily get them.

The Government has an awareness campaign, organised by the young people's facilities and services fund, which targets young people of between ten and 20 who are at risk. With regard to sport and recreational facilities, €125 million has been spent on 500 projects. It is important to bear in mind that the project has been responsible for the introduction of many sporting facilities. Several successful cocaine projects in Tallaght and in various other areas have helped. Education is another pillar of the national strategy. It is essential that we take every opportunity to educate young people on the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. Treatment facilities are also important. Approximately 8,600 clients are now undergoing methadone treatment around the country, which is a significant increase. This is an important aspect of the campaign that is now, in timely fashion, being reviewed.

Society must take a harder stance against drugs. There seems to be an acceptance of soft drug abuse in our society. A policeman told me recently that he caught a young guy with some hash in his pocket, but when he rang the boy's mother she asked him whether he did not have something better to do than to pull up her son for carrying soft drugs. While we have that sort of attitude our approach will certainly not work. We must take a tough stance in this regard.

The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the HSE, the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are currently taking a joint approach to implementing the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. The inter-agency approach includes an increase in the number of residential detoxification beds, investigation of the impact of community employment schemes, and broader life issues such as education and medical support. The Garda Síochána plays a key role in tackling the problem of drug misuse locally, nationally and internationally. The Garda strategies for dealing with drug offences are designed to undermine the activities of organised criminals and networks in order to tackle the distribution of illicit drugs. These strategies include gathering intelligence on individuals and organisations involved in drug distribution, including the support structures underpinning these activities, and conducting target operations on criminal networks based on intelligence and collaborative work.

The review of the drugs strategy is important. It is not the case, as Senator Buttimer said, that we simply have not delivered in various areas. By discussing this issue and reaching conclusions we could have collaborative support in the House on the way to tackle the drugs problem. It is too serious an issue with which to play politics. Too many people have died in this and other cities for us to be political about this issue. We must find a solution to this problem, a political one if we can, although that will be difficult.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I know he will do a good job. His predecessor brought this issue into the domain of public contributions on a new way forward to tackle this problem.