Written answers

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

National Drugs Strategy

4:00 pm

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if research has been conducted on heroin use in Cork city and County, in particular in relation to persons under 18; if so, the findings of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28932/08]

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware of any research conducted specifically on heroin use in Cork city and County, in particular in relation to under 18s.

With regard to heroin users in the general population, the National Advisory Committee on Drugs recently published Bulletin 2 of the 2006/2007 Drug Prevalence Survey which gives regional data. The results for the former Southern Health Board area — which corresponds with the Regional Drugs Task Force covering Cork and Kerry — show that 0.1% of the population reported lifetime and last year heroin use in 2006/7. However, no respondents reported last month use of heroin in the survey. Further details are available on the NACD's website — www.nacd.ie,

The recently published HRB Drug Trend Series reports that, in Cork & Kerry, of the 2,096 new cases (all ages) entering drug treatment between 2001 and 2006, 14% were treated for problem opiate use, 59% were treated for problem cannabis use and 12% were treated for problem ecstasy use.

Finally, I understand that the HSE has carried out studies and surveys in the Cork & Kerry region on youth homelessness and on smoking, alcohol and drug use, though not specifically focusing on under 18s.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is satisfied with the funding available to the National Drugs Strategy team and local drugs task forces in particular in relation to their effectiveness in relation to young people under 18 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28943/08]

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Approx. €22m in current funding is being provided by my Department in 2008 to support Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) projects. Of that, over €8m relates to 108 projects targeting under 18s, including some cross-Task Force projects. The National Drugs Strategy Team oversees the work of the Task Forces.

The type of projects funded range from drugs education workers, prison links workers, counsellors, youth information projects and outreach services. Some of the projects funded are not exclusively for under 18s — rather they encompass family members under family support projects and community drugs teams' initiatives.

This year, additional funding has been provided to all the Drugs Task Forces to facilitate local and regional drugs awareness campaigns to dovetail with the national campaign, focusing on cocaine. These will be particularly pertinent to young people as the Drugs Prevalence Survey 2006/07 confirmed that illegal drug usage is predominantly a younger adult phenomenon, particularly among the 15-34 year age group.

Under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund, which targets 10-21 year olds at risk of drug misuse, current funding of the order of €17m is being provided this year to support the employment of over 350 youth and outreach workers, centre managers and administration staff. Consistent with the Taoiseach's announcement in May last, arrangements to transfer responsibility for the Fund to the Office of the Minister for Youth Affairs and Children are currently being progressed.

Overall, I am satisfied that the level of funding for projects in LDTF areas, including those targeting under 18s, is building on the on-going progress being made through the National Drugs Strategy to tackle problem drug use.

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