Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 135: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the findings of a campaign evaluation (details supplied) published on 1 November 2006 including the recommendation that the campaign be rolled out across the State; and if his Department will fund this expansion. [36840/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand that with monies provided by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs through the Government's Local Drug Task Force initiative fund, the Blanchardstown Local Drug Task Force has this year been running a pilot drug supply reduction campaign in the Dublin 15 area entitled "Dial to stop drug dealing".

This campaign has involved the Task Force, with the support of An Garda Síochána, working in conjunction with UK marketing company Public Communications Centre Limited, in the marketing and operation of a non-Garda confidential phone line to help gather information on drug dealing in the Dublin 15 area.

I further understand that the evaluation report of the project which was recently launched is concerned with the operation of the campaign during its initial six week period and that the report's findings are drawn from i) the daily reports from the call centre, ii) a report from An Garda Síochána on the operation of the initiative and iii) a public survey of a sample of 250 people in the local area.

I understand that the Blanchardstown Local Drug Task Force recently made a presentation to the National Drugs Strategy Team, (NDST) on the operation of the campaign and that the findings of the evaluation report are currently being examined by the NDST.