Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 905: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the budget for local drugs task forces in 2009; the budget for regional drugs task forces in 2009; when the budgets will be finalised; if he envisages cutbacks in staff of programmes in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1371/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is firmly committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse in our society. This is evidenced by the fact that the funding targeted at community-based initiatives funded through my Department's Vote doubled from 2003 to 2008 — from €31.5m over €64m.

The relative reduction in the 2009 funding allocation to my Department for the drugs initiatives must, therefore, be viewed in that context. In 2008, the budget for community-based initiatives in the Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas was nearly €34.8m.

Funding for 2009 will be approximately €34.6m, which, in overall terms, is a minor reduction. Of this amount, over €23m is being allocated to the Local Drugs Task Forces while over €11m is being earmarked for the Regional Task Forces. These have already been approved funding for projects for the first six months of 2009 and the National Drugs Strategy Team will be reviewing this expenditure before allocating the remaining six months funding.

All Drugs Task Forces have been asked to identify savings across their area of responsibility. While I appreciate that there may be some difficult choices to be made, it will be a matter for the Drugs Task Forces to identify measures to enable them to work within their allocated budgets.

As the Deputy is aware, the Drugs Strategy is based on a co-ordinated effort across many Government Departments and Agencies and my Department's allocation is only part of a much bigger investment programme in drugs services by these other bodies. In 2007, it was estimated that expenditure on drugs programmes across all the bodies was in the region of €230m. The figures for 2008 are currently being compiled.