Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the discussions he has had with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children, regarding the worsening situation and prevalence of illegal drugs here; his views on the need for a more co-ordinated Government response to the national drugs crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10801/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The officials of my Department and I are in ongoing contact with all those involved in disrupting the use of illegal drugs in this country. A comprehensive framework for a co-ordinated Government response to the issue of drug misuse is already in place. The national drugs strategy 2001-08 addresses the problem of drug misuse across a number of pillars — supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. Implementation of the strategy across a range of Departments and agencies, and directly involving the community and voluntary sector, is co-ordinated by my Department. Moreover, although there is anecdotal evidence of a growth in the use of some illegal drugs, albeit from a relatively low base, we are not in a position to quantify the level of any increase.

It is intended that the field work for the second drug prevalence study will be carried out from late 2006 to mid-2007. Preliminary analysis will be in the months following, with a first report of national prevalence figures and trends expected in late 2007. At that stage we will be much better placed to measure effectively the level of growth of drug misuse in Ireland.

The report of the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy, which was published in June 2005, found that the current aims and objectives of the drugs strategy are fundamentally sound and that there were encouraging signs of progress in its implementation. Officials of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science and Health and Children sit on the regional and local drugs task forces, the national drugs strategy team and the interdepartmental group on drugs, illustrating the degree of co-ordination involved between our Departments under the national drugs strategy. I am confident that the general consensus on the direction and implementation of the strategy will continue.