Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, in view of his Department's responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the national drugs strategy which involves substantial input and participation from other Departments, his views on whether there is a cross-departmental consensus on the operation of this strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4368/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy was published in June of 2005. This report was the culmination of a comprehensive review which included extensive consultation with Departments and agencies, the community and voluntary sectors and the public in general.

The review was overseen by a steering group, chaired by my Department, and made up of representatives of the relevant participants in the national drugs strategy. I am pleased that the steering group found that the current aims and objectives of the drugs strategy are fundamentally sound. It was confirmed that there are encouraging signs of progress since 2001, when the strategy was first launched, suggesting that our current approach to tackling the drug problem is proving to be effective. At the same time, however, the review highlights the need to re-focus some priorities and to accelerate the roll-out and implementation of various key actions in the remaining period of the strategy up to 2008.

The actions outlined in the national drugs strategy are being progressed with the significant input of other Departments and agencies — for example, the Health Services Executive, the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science, and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service, the customs service of the Revenue Commissioners and FÁS. All these bodies are playing important roles in the implementation of the overall strategy and the structures in place facilitate the sorting out of any issues that arise in relation to the details of the implementation.

While inevitably some differences of approach may arise between public bodies from time to time I am happy that there is consensus on the overall implementation of the strategy and I have every confidence that this will continue.