Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report upon the activities of the working group that is developing an integrated rehabilitation provision as the fifth pillar of the national drugs strategy and if he is confident that recommendations will be presented by the end of 2005. [30696/05]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, under the auspices of the national drugs strategy, the proposed working group to develop a policy for the provision of integrated rehabilitation services, has been established; the number of meetings that have been held; when the working group will report; his views on rehabilitation services in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30701/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 114 together.

As the Deputies may be aware, rehabilitation emerged as a key issue during the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. The conclusion of the steering group overseeing the review, with which I agree, was that the strategy's rehabilitation provisions needed to be strengthened and expanded, particularly in light of the significant and ongoing expansion in treatment provision in recent years. Accordingly, the report of the steering group recommended that rehabilitation become the fifth pillar of the strategy. To progress this, it was further recommended that a working group, under the aegis of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, be established to develop a strategy for the provision of integrated rehabilitation services.

This group has been established and includes representatives from a range of Departments and agencies involved in delivering rehabilitation services as well as the national drugs strategy team, NDST, the national advisory committee on drugs, NACD, and representatives from the community and voluntary sectors. The group is examining the provision of existing rehabilitation services in Ireland and will seek to identify existing best practice as well as gaps in current services. The final report of the group will recommend actions to develop an integrated rehabilitation service.

To date, the group has had one formal meeting and have also conducted two days of consultation meetings with various stakeholders and experts in the field of rehabilitation. Following this, its second formal meeting is being held today. It is envisaged that the working group will complete its report by the end of the year and that its recommendations will be considered by the inter-departmental group on drugs and the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion early in 2006.