Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has fully implemented the recommendations of the working group on drug rehabilitation. [36471/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation made a series of recommendations for the development of a comprehensive rehabilitation pillar under the National Drugs Strategy. As agreed by the Working Group, the HSE is taking the lead role in this area.

In this context, I understand that the post of Senior Rehabilitation Co-ordinator will shortly be filled by the HSE. In addition, the first meeting of the National Drugs Rehabilitation Implementation Committee will be held in early November, dovetailing with the appointment of the Co-ordinator, who will chair it. My Department will be represented on that Committee.

Meanwhile, a number of other rehabilitation initiatives are also being progressed, including the following: my Department is providing funding of €750,000 for rehabilitation initiatives at Local and Regional Drugs Task Force level this year; increased funding is also being provided to the Family Support Network and this will support the role of families in the rehabilitation process; the Irish Prison Service is working to improve the operation of the Local Prisons Liaison Groups and to endeavour to ensure a continuum of care for problem drug users when they leave prison; the Dept of Education & Science is developing proposals for an education fund for drugs rehabilitation; and the Dept of Environment, Heritage & Local Government is establishing a Working Group to progress the report's recommendations in regard to accommodation issues for recovering drug users.

Overall progress on the implementation of the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation will continue to be monitored through the Inter-departmental Group on Drugs which I chair. While the Deputy will appreciate that it will take some time to give effect to all the recommendations of the Working Group, I can assure him that I will pursuing their implementation over the coming period.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of local and regional drugs task forces around the country; the funding they have received in each of the past five years; and the progress to date on the development of additional projects to these drugs task forces. [36472/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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There are 14 Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFS) and 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs) covering all parts of the country. The locations of the Task Forces and expenditure — current and capital — from my Department to each of them for the last five years are set out below in Appendix 1.

With regard to the work of the Task Forces, the Deputy should note the following. Over 440 LDTF projects, including those under the Emerging Needs Fund, have been approved funding of €22m for 2008. Some €10m is being provided this year to advance the implementation of the RDTF plans. This will support approx. 155 community projects already in operation in the different areas and will allow for another 40 projects or so to get started this year. Earlier this year, I approved dedicated funding for 8 projects, totalling nearly €900,000, to tackle the problem of drug misuse in Limerick City and a further €500,000 is earmarked for a capital proposal which is currently being developed. I have also provided further funding of €100,000 to develop "Dial-to-Stop Drug Dealing Campaigns" in several Task Force areas.

In addition, further funding of almost €2m was approved earlier this year for projects in Task Force areas aimed at supporting rehabilitation (€750,000) and addressing cocaine use (€1.2m approx). Some €500,000 has been provided to Task Forces to run cocaine awareness campaigns in their areas to dovetail with the national awareness campaign. I recently approved capital expenditure of nearly €2.3m under the Regional Youth Initiative. This initiative will provide capital funding for the development of 16 dedicated youth facilities in RDTF areas not covered under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF). This funding is additional to the €4m approved in 2008 for 15 capital projects under the Premises Initiative Fund, which addresses the accommodation needs of community drugs projects in Task Force areas.

Finally, the Deputy should note that expenditure under the YPFSF — which operates in the LDTF areas and four urban centres — is not included in any of the figures provided.