Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to address the increasing problem of drug misuse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27065/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The Strategy contains 108 individual actions, under the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research.

The actions outlined in the National Drugs Strategy are being progressed with the significant input of other Government Departments and Agencies — for example, the Health Services Executive, the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prisons Service, the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners and FÁS. All of these bodies are playing important roles in the implementation of the overall Strategy and the structures in place facilitate inter-agency cooperation in relation to the details of the implementation.

The Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy was published in June 2005. This report was the culmination of a comprehensive review, which included extensive consultation with Government Departments and Agencies, the Community and Voluntary Sectors and the public in general. I am pleased that the Review Steering Group found that the current aims and objectives of the Drugs Strategy are fundamentally sound.

I believe that there are encouraging signs of progress over the past couple of years — be it in the areas of drug seizures, the expansion of treatment services, prevention programmes in schools or the establishment of the Regional Drugs Task Forces. While not underestimating the scale of the problem, I am confident that we will continue to make progress through a process of co-operation and partnership.

In relation to prevention programmes for young adults, the Department of Education and Science has implemented substance misuse prevention programmes in all schools. A consequence of this policy is that all students are equipped with knowledge about the dangers of drugs misuse. The Strategy also included a National Drugs Awareness Campaign, run by the Department of Health and Children until December 2005. This campaign was aimed at promoting greater awareness and understanding of the causes and consequences of drugs misuse throughout society. Aspects of the campaign were specifically targeted at the young adult population. Due to the reorganisation of the health services future campaigns will now be the responsibility of the Health Service Executive.

To date (since 1997) over €248 million has been expended by my Department on Drugs Initiatives in the Drugs Task Force areas and through the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. This is in addition to the resources being input from the various Departments and agencies engaged in combating the drug crisis. I am pleased with the increasing levels of funding being made available to tackle the problems of drugs misuse. An allocation of €43m has been made to my Department's Vote for the Drugs Initiative/Young People's Facilities and Services Fund in 2006. This represents an increase of 37% on the original 2005 allocation and a massive 61% increase on the 2004 figure. It will allow us to consolidate and build on previous investment and to continue to tackle the drug problem in a comprehensive way and I remain hopeful that through this sizeable programme of investment we will continue to impact in a serious way on the availability and usage of illegal drugs.

I am confident that through the implementation of the actions in the National Drugs Strategy and the projects and initiatives operated through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces, the problem of drugs misuse can be addressed. Each of the Drugs Task Forces has in place an action plan to tackle drug misuse in their area based on their own identified priorities and they continue to have ongoing contact with their local communities.

While the problems of drugs misuse, including polydrug use, must not be underestimated, I believe progress is being made and I will continue to respond in a flexible and focused way as the situation evolves.