Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he expects to launch the next national drugs strategy, when his Department will be accepting submissions on the future strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15151/08]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I expect to launch the next National Drugs Strategy — to cover the period 2009-2016 — by the end of the year. In this context, I have established a Steering Group to develop proposals and to make recommendations to me on the new Strategy. The Steering Group, which is chaired by my Department and which held its first meeting in early January, is undertaking a comprehensive consultation process, starting tonight with a public meeting in Dún Laoghaire. This is one of a series of 15 public meetings that will be held throughout the country over the coming weeks. Other elements of the extensive consultation process, in which I intend to be directly involved, include:- meetings with the relevant Government Department and Agencies — it is expected that these meetings will be completed by mid to late June;- meetings with key sectoral representatives and organisations, including the community & voluntary sectors; and — a series of meetings with appropriate focus groups, including, for example, problem drug users, young people at risk and immigrant groups.In addition, my Department is continuing to accept written submissions on the new Strategy, in response to a call for submissions, which was advertised in the newspapers on 26th February last. I am confident that the consultation process will significantly inform the work of the Steering Group as it develops proposals for the new Strategy in the second half of the year.