Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the reported comments of a person (details supplied) that moneys confiscated by the Criminal Assets Bureau should go to communities ravaged by drugs; and if he will consult with the Department of Finance with a view to putting arrangements in place to ring-fence such moneys in the future as additional funding for community development programmes in drug-ridden areas. [8998/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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While I recognise the good faith in this suggestion, I do not envisage being in a position to accede to it. In particular, I am informed by the Minister for Finance, that in accordance with the requirements of Article 11 of the Constitution, revenue accruing to the State, including revenue which has been accumulated as a result of drug trafficking, which is seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, is paid into the Central Fund. It is this Central Fund from which the Government draws for expenditure on all necessary public services and investment. I am further informed that there are no proposals at present to alter these arrangements.

With certain exceptions, it is believed that earmarking revenues for a specific expenditure programme would, in general, constrain the Government in the implementation of its overall expenditure policy.

A policy of ring-fencing monies obtained by the Exchequer and the reallocation of same for a specific purpose runs contrary to the normal Estimates process and could have far-reaching implications. The Constitution requires, and Government accounting principles provide, that public monies be spent only as voted or approved by Dáil Éireann unless otherwise provided by statute.

To agree that revenues secured through the Criminal Assets Bureau be allocated for drug victims, for example, would mean that the treatment of drug victims would be financed, in part at least, by uncertain and variable revenue sources. Furthermore, if certain revenues which are variable were earmarked for particular projects within the overall fight against drug abuse, any projects thus funded would be dependent on actual revenue collected from that source. To put it bluntly, this could mean that a fall in revenue generated by that source would lead to a fall in expenditure on such drug-related projects.

The Government is already allocating very considerable resources to a wide range of Government Departments and State Agencies as well as to the Community and Voluntary treatment sectors to tackle the issue of drug misuse. For example, in 2008 the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has been allocated €64.3 million for the expenditure subhead Drugs Initiative/Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund. The vast bulk of this funding is committed by the Government in developing a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to the drugs problem at local levels.

I can assure the House that the Government remains firmly committed to the provision of significant funding to tackle the issue of drug misuse particularly in the areas where the problem is most acute.