Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the status of the new National Drugs Strategy; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40888/08]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the public consultation programme on the National Drugs Strategy 2009 to 2016 has been completed; when the strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40958/08]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when he plans to launch the National Drugs Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40785/08]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 108 and 382 together.

Work on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy to cover the period 2009-2016 has been ongoing in my Department throughout 2008 and is continuing.

The Steering Group established to develop proposals and make recommendations to me on the new Strategy has been meeting regularly during the year and the frequency of these meetings has increased in recent weeks as they work towards finalising their proposals.

Meanwhile, the consultants engaged to support the Steering Group have completed their work. Their input included the facilitation, reporting and drawing conclusions from the extensive consultation process that was undertaken earlier this year. This process included 15 public meetings and 40 consultation meetings with various statutory, voluntary & community sectors representatives and organisations of interests. In addition, over 140 written submissions were received.

Apart from attending a number of the consultation meetings, I also participated in a debate in the Seanad in June and met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sports, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in September to hear their views on the new Strategy.

As part of its terms of reference, the Steering Group is examining the progress and impact of the current Drugs Strategy, the degree to which it continues to be relevant and the operational effectiveness of the structures that underpin the implementation of the Strategy. They are also looking at developments in regard to drug policies at EU and international levels.

I am expecting to receive the Steering Group's recommendations in the New Year and I would hope to publish the new Strategy by the end of March 2009.