Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the annual report of the Merchants Quay project, which highlights a substantial increase in the number of drug abusers availing of its services, and which states the belief that the national drug strategy has now ground to a halt. [22903/04]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I assure the Deputy that the Government continues to take the issue of drug misuse seriously and will continue to push forward with the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001- 2008.

In this regard, one of the principle aims of the strategy is to encourage drug misusers into treatment and the Department of Health and Children — which has overall responsibility for the addiction services — continues to report an increase in the numbers being treated. In this context, it is worth noting that at the end of August, there were 7,190 drug misusers on methadone treatment compared with a figure of approximately 5,000 at the end of the year 2,000 — an increase of approximately 40%.

To further emphasise the Government's commitment to implementing the national drugs strategy, the Deputy should note that approximately €80 million has been allocated to implement the two rounds of action plans of the local drugs task forces, LDTFs; an amount of €12.8 million has been allocated under the LDTF premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects and; approximately €75 million has been allocated to support in the region of 450 facility and services under the young people's facilities and services fund. I believe that this investment of nearly €168 million in these drugs services since 1996 — in addition to more than €220 million invested in addiction services by the health boards in the same period — could not fairly be characterised as a lack of commitment on the Government's part.

The Government continues to be pursue the further implementation of the strategy and earlier this year my Department published National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008: Critical Implementation Path which maps out how the 100 actions of the national drugs strategy are being delivered and timeframes for delivery. I invite the Deputy to examine this publication, which, notwithstanding some difficulties, clearly shows that Departments and agencies continue to make progress in implementing the actions set out for them in the strategy. I plan to publish a progress report covering the first three years of the strategy before the end of the year.

The Deputy should note that I have initiated a mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. The review will examine the progress being made to date in achieving the overall key strategic goals set out in the strategy and will enable priorities for future action to be identified and a re-focusing of the strategy, if necessary. The review will be completed by the end 2004 or early 2005.