Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will substantially increase the funding available for the delivery of the emerging needs fund in view of the fact that the budget of €1 million is inadequate to deal with the drugs crisis in local communities. [39395/05]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will implement the current round of the emerging needs fund in accordance with the criteria that were agreed and circulated in early 2005. [39397/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the problems in the development of the emerging needs fund designed to tackle the drugs crisis; and the steps he will take to provide funds for the identified needs in local communities and to apply the criteria agreed earlier in 2005. [39480/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 247, 249 and 251 together.

As I pointed out in my reply to Question No. 336 on 13 December, it was brought to my attention last year that demands for services in a number of local drugs task force areas were arising in the context of changing trends in drug misuse. In view of this I announced an emerging needs fund earlier this year. The emerging needs fund represents an initiative to deal with different issues arising as the drugs misuse scenario evolves and a sum up to €1m has been earmarked to meet those needs. To date, I have allocated just under €200,000 to five projects and I hope to be in a position to make further allocations in the near future. The question of providing additional moneys to the fund will be considered in the overall context of budgetary allocations for 2006.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will give a clear mandate to the national drugs strategy team and local drug task forces to re-embark on a strategic planning process that would allow local communities to develop an efficient, integrated and co-ordinated approach to the drugs crisis, with realistic funding available on a planned basis. [39396/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The task forces are, for the most part, currently implementing their second round of action plans and it is only in the current year that full implementation of some of these plans has been achieved. Before even considering the development of further strategies I feel it would be prudent to evaluate what has been achieved by the local drug task forces to date. This matter is currently receiving consideration.