Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have been speaking to Deputy Rock about this issue and I know he is in the process of trying to arrange a date with the Taoiseach to visit Ballymun. I hope that will be finalised some time in the new year. We are all aware of the serious concerns about drugs in every community. Crack cocaine has become popular with many different age groups and with people living in wealthy as well as poorer communities. It is also being used as a social drug.

I have met the GAA club in question and I had some of its members in the Houses for discussions. We are trying to address this issue through the new national Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery strategy. We are examining emerging trends as part of one of our actions to support and influence communities through education and youth projects to tackle the use of different drugs by young persons and vulnerable people. We will look at our policy in that regard in the coming weeks and months.

The local drugs task forces, as the Senator is aware, are funded through the drugs policy department and the Health Service Executive. We all know the reasons funding was cut substantially in recent years. A small amount of funding, up to €20,000, has been made available to each local drugs task force this year, €10,000 of which is to be used within the task force for the members to update their skills, with the other €10,000 to be used to plug some of the gaps in services. It is only a small amount of money but we wish to further fund the task forces in the coming year for specific actions in the national plan. The oversight forum has identified some new actions, particularly for those aged under 18 and other community services.

I can only give the Senator the update the Minister provided as the matter falls within her remit. I responded on the issue of drugs because we strayed into that area. Deputy Rock is in the process of arranging a date with the Department of the Taoiseach for a visit by the Taoiseach to Ballymun. I will ask the Deputy to inform all the other public representatives in the area when that date becomes available. I do not know when that will be at present.

I understand the concerns of the community in Ballymun and communities throughout the country about emerging drugs such as spice and other drugs that are coming into the market and affecting people at a very young age. Young men in particular are being used as runners and to perform other significant duties in the criminal aspects of the drug trade. I will emphasise to the Minister the importance of this issue. As soon as the applications have been received and the budgets examined, decisions will be made on funding.

I understand that it is not only community groups that can tackle this issue. It is a broader issue for many Departments and we need to target areas such as Ballymun and my home area with something similar to what has been done in the north inner city. I will relay that point to the Minister.