Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the necessary funding will be released to ensure that the successful cocaine pilot project in Tallaght, Dublin 24 remains open. [18052/06]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he intends to introduce a mainstream programme to deal specifically with cocaine abuse; the reason pilot cocaine treatment programmes are currently only in place; if he has satisfied himself regarding this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18156/06]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the evaluation report will be published and made available regarding the successful cocaine pilot project run by CARP in conjunction with St. Dominic's in Tallaght, Dublin 24. [18051/06]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the work of the four pilot cocaine treatment projects to examine different methods of treatment for cocaine use that he launched in 2005; when the evaluation of these pilot projects will be complete; when a report will be published; his views on extending these projects, including on a national basis, in view of the widespread use of cocaine here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18127/06]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has satisfied himself regarding the amount of time it takes to produce an evaluation report in relation to pilot cocaine projects. [18049/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the action he intends to take to ensure that the closure of Tallaght's successful cocaine pilot project will be avoided. [18050/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 87, 104, 112, 122 and 125 together.

A sub group of the National Drugs Strategy Team was established in 2004 to make proposals in relation to combating cocaine abuse. As part of its recommendations the subgroup proposed funding to support four pilot treatment projects. The four projects deal with the following cohorts of cocaine users: intravenous cocaine users; poly-drug users using cocaine; problematic intranasal cocaine users; and problematic female cocaine users.

One of the pilot projects is a community-based pilot involving a partnership approach by two existing projects, St. Dominic's and Community Addiction Response Programme (CARP) Killinarden. The sub group envisaged that this shared pilot would develop best practice models of co-operation, which should result in improved levels of service for client groups.

The target group of this pilot is cocaine only users who have developed problematic levels of usage from an initial level of mild usage described as "snorting usually at weekends".

The objectives of the pilot are to record the social, health and personal changes of cocaine only users through the duration of the project. This is achieved by outreaching to users in their places of entertainment, recreation and work in order to devise a response to their drug use. The pilot aims to identify and utilise the knowledge and skills that already exist in the area with the objective of engaging with cocaine only users who are already in contact with the statutory and voluntary services in the area, while encouraging others into the service.

At the outset it was envisaged that the project would be run for a period of six months under the joint management of CARP and St. Dominic's. The total cost of the six month run was to have been €87,160. As it transpired, the project began operating in February 2005 and has been in operation since then.

In March of this year my Department, through the NDST, received an application for additional funding to enable the project to continue in operation for a further period. Notwithstanding the fact that it was established on a pilot basis, and that the evaluation of the project is not yet complete, I am glad to be able to inform Deputies that additional funding has been allocated to facilitate its continuation in operation until the report on the evaluation of the project is received and considered in my Department. The additional funds are being channelled through the Health Services Executive and I understand that a payment in that regard will issue to the project in the near future.

While the evaluation process of the cocaine pilot initiatives commenced in August 2005, it cannot be completed until the projects are sufficiently advanced to facilitate analysis of their effectiveness. Specifically in relation to the CARP/St. Dominic's project, I am advised that the evaluators are awaiting further information in relation to numbers attending before the report can be finalised. However, I trust that these details will be provided and that the evaluation report can be completed and submitted to me soon.

With regard to the production of the evaluation reports generally, it stands to reason that the evaluators would not be in a position to finalise their reports until the pilot projects had run for a sufficient period and provided all the necessary information. Such information is still being collected while in the case of one of the pilot projects, it will not be available until later in the year when more progress has been made. Overall I am satisfied with the methodology being used to produce the evaluation reports and I have to accept that it will take time to complete them.

The main thrust of the evaluations will be to analyse, in a systematic manner, what is being achieved by the projects and to report on the lessons to be learned as a result. It is hoped that the results of the evaluation process will aid the formulation of effective actions aimed at tackling cocaine misuse. If any or all of the projects prove to have been effective, consideration will be given to rolling out similar projects on a wider basis.