Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will increase support for community groups involved in the fight against drugs and drug rehabilitation programmes with particular reference to the Greater Dublin Area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43205/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the percentage of expenditure by his Department in 2006 in respect of drug rehabilitation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43207/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number and location of community based drug rehabilitation programmes currently funded by his Department; his proposals in this regard in 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43209/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 258, 260 and 262 together.

In the current year across the 14 Local Drugs Task Force areas, 361 projects, including those under the Emerging Needs Fund, are receiving interim funding totalling €20.2m from my Department. Of these, 191 projects deal with the issues of treatment and rehabilitation, with a total value of over €13m.

I have also allocated €5m in 2006 to the ten Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs) to facilitate the initiation of the implementation of their action plans. A total of 96 projects have been initiated across the ten regions. 76 of these deal with the issues of treatment and rehabilitation and have a total value of over €1.6m.

The tables outline the number and location of those projects on a Task Force basis.

With respect to 2007 and 2008, the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation, chaired by my Department, is currently finalising its report and it is expected that it will be published early next year. It is envisaged that the recommendations of this report will form the basis for further focused action with respect to rehabilitation.