Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the funding of secondary schools is a matter in the first instance for my colleague, Mary Hanafin T.D., Minister for Education & Science. The Department of Education & Science currently provides funding in respect of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme at second level, thus ensuring that all school children now receive substance misuse prevention education as an integral part of their curricula up to Junior Certificate level. I have raised the issue of extending SPHE to the senior cycle with that Department on a number of occasions, most notably through the Inter-departmental Group on Drugs which I chair. Officials are looking at these issues and it is hoped that some progress can be made for the next school year.

While I envisage that funding will be provided through my Department for drugs awareness initiatives at local and regional level to dovetail with the current national campaign, funding of secondary school programmes will continue to be a matter for the Department of Education & Science.