Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which he proposes to allocate funding under the various schemes available to his Department to groups involved in drug treatment programmes and rehabilitation in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37045/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of applications for grant aid currently before his Department from groups involved in combating drugs and relevant rehabilitation courses from County Kildare in 2006; the extent to which he expects to be in a position to respond favourably to such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37299/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 194 together.

The 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs) that have been established to include all parts of the country not covered by a Local Drugs Task Force are charged with researching, developing, implementing and monitoring a co-ordinated response to illicit drug use at regional level.

The South West RDTF has responsibility for County Kildare, West Wicklow, and parts of South County Dublin and South Dublin City. Its strategic plan outlines responses to illicit drug use across the region while focusing on specific problematic issues, such as pockets of illicit drug use and emerging needs. The information emerging locally, combined with information on drug prevalence and opiate use in the region, has provided the basis upon which projects were proposed and approved for funding.

I was happy to make €735,000 available to the South West RDTF in 2006 towards the implementation of its plan, with follow-up annual funding of over €1.5m. Good progress has been achieved, with over half of the projects already commenced or due to commence by the end of the year. Some ten projects have been approved for funding spanning the main pillars in the National Drugs Strategy — prevention, education, treatment, rehabilitation and research. Of these, five projects, with approved full-year implementation costs of over €1.1m, relate specifically to the provision of drug treatment programmes and rehabilitation. These include the establishment of a Community Drug Team, to be based in Naas, and which will provide additional treatment places and ancillary treatment services in Kildare and West Wicklow.

Overall, I am satisfied with the progress being made by the South West RDTF and by RDTFs generally. There is an increasing level of co-operation and partnership evident in the regions as the RDTFs become more established. Furthermore, the rate of progress being achieved has accelerated with the recruitment of full-time co-ordinators earlier this year. I am confident that significant results can be achieved in respect of Co. Kildare in the coming year.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the phone line established by Blanchardstown's local drugs task force; his further views on the roll out of this service to all drugs task force areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36911/06]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he or his Department have had or intend to have discussions regarding the roll out of local drugs task force confidential anti-drug dealing phone lines. [37025/06]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his view on the local drugs task force confidential anti-drug dealing phone line; and if funding will come from his Department for its roll out here. [37023/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 40 and 43 together.

I was pleased to launch the report, to which the Deputies refer, last week. The campaign was brought about through a unique alliance of groups and agencies working on the frontline on drugs issues in the area in question and funded by my Department through the Local Drugs Task Force. The main function of the campaign was to gather information about drug dealing and to ensure that the information reached the Gardaí.

The Gardaí have confirmed that much information was generated by the campaign, especially in its earlier stage, and that a significant amount of this information was useful. Following on from the evaluation of the campaign, the steering group has proposed, as one of a number of recommendations, that the campaign be piloted nationwide. The recommendations arising are now to be considered by the National Drugs Strategy Team and on receipt of their views I will consider the matter further.

In considering the matter going forward I will be particularly interested in the views of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and An Garda Síochána. It may be the case that initiatives such as this have maximum impact when strongly targeted at specific local areas for defined short periods, rather than being rolled out generally with no specific timeframe.