Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will appreciate that primary responsibility for drug treatment rests with my colleague, Mary Harney T.D., Minister for Health and Children.

However, I understand that the Health Service Executive (HSE) provides addiction services in 9 locations in the Midlands region. The range of services provided includes methadone maintenance, counselling, education/ awareness programmes and referral services to community, mental health and hospital services. The HSE also provides intervention programmes for the families of substance misusers.

As of July this year, 8,474 people were in receipt of methadone treatment nationally and 136 of those were being treated in the Midlands Region. I understand that there were 64 people on the waiting list for treatment in the Midlands — 43 in Athlone and 21 in Portlaoise. The HSE is working to address this waiting list, particularly by trying to encourage GPs into the methadone treatment programme.

Meanwhile, the on-going implementation of the Action Plan of the Midland Regional Drugs Task Force will result in an increase in initiatives that will complement the mainstream addiction services. Over €1.6m per annum is being provided from my Department to support the full implementation of the Plan. It is also open to the Task Force to apply for capital funding under the Premises Initiative funded by my Department.

Further midlands towns may also benefit from the commitment in the Programme for Government to extend the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund to further towns mainly in Leinster. This issue is currently being considered by my Department.

I am confident that the initiatives taken, and those planned, will address the drugs problem in the Midlands Region in the coming period.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 624: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the achievements to date of the National Drugs Strategy; the priorities for tackling drug abuse over the next five years; the resources being put in place to provide for these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19755/07]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 has achieved considerable success across a range of different areas and will continue to do so in its remaining fifteen months of operation.

In particular, the Deputy should note that:

The level of drugs seizures by the Gardaí and the Customs Service have been well in excess of the targets set out in the Strategy and they include a number of significant operations;

Under the prevention pillar, the SPHE and Walk Tall programmes have been rolled out to all schools; awareness campaigns have been organised and tremendous achievements have been made under the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF);

Treatment facilities have increased significantly, with approximately 8,500 in receipt of methadone in July, and a range of services are being provided across the statutory, voluntary and community sectors for various types of problem drug use; and

Research in areas such as drugs prevalence, the outcome of heroin treatment, families and drugs, the effect of drugs on communities and cocaine issues have all helped to inform our progress.

The specific achievements of my own Department under the Strategy include the establishment of the Drugs Task Force network across the country, at both local and regional levels. In all, over 440 community-based projects have been established through the Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFs), employing more than 300 people. Each Regional Drugs Task Force has prepared a strategic plan to address gaps in service provision in their regions and these are now being progressed.

I referred above to the valuable work being done through the YPFSF. I was delighted, therefore, to announce earlier this week an additional capital allocation of nearly €7m to support 42 projects under this Fund. To date, allocations of just over €125m have been made to almost 500 facility & services projects in LDTF areas and in Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Carlow.

Priorities in tackling drug abuse over the next five years will include those set out in the Programme for Government, increased availability of treatment for cocaine users, implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation, further development of the Drugs Task Forces and the continuation and expansion of the YPFSF. Another key priority is the development of a new National Drugs Strategy from 2009 onwards and this will be developed in collaboration with a wide range of relevant stakeholders over the coming year.

Tackling the problem of drugs misuse is a key priority for Government and will continue to be so. This commitment is evidenced by the ongoing increased funding in my Department's Vote. The allocation of €50m this year represented an increase of 16% on the 2006 figure and was an increase of 87% over the corresponding figure for 2004.

I am, or course, determined to ensure that adequate resources will again be provided in the coming years so as to maintain the progress that is been made in tackling the drug problem in Ireland.