Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of money that has been allocated to the local drugs task forces for 2009; the breakdown of allocation per task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2590/09]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will make a statement detailing the way drugs projects and services on the ground can continue to meet demand in the context of cut backs to local drugs task forces budgets of around 10% and to regional drug task forces budgets of 20% and upwards; if he will reverse the cuts; and if he will make a commitment that there will be no further cuts for 2009. [2649/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 37 together.

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 approx €34.6m, of which over €23m is being allocated to the Local Drugs Task Forces while over €11m is being earmarked for the Regionals.

Projects have been approved funding for the first six months of 2009 and the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST) will be reviewing this expenditure before allocating the remaining six months funding. The NDST and the Task Forces will work to ensure that this funding is targeted in the most appropriate manner. Details of the provisional 2009 allocations by Task Force are shown in the following table. All Drugs Task Forces have been asked to identify savings across their area of responsibility. While I appreciate that there may have been some difficult choices to be make, it was a matter for the Drugs Task Forces to identify measures to enable them to work within their allocated budgets. In the current economic environment, there is a critical need to ensure that resources are directed in a targeted and effective manner and that the maximum benefit is achieved. I would like to assure the Deputies that my primary concern has been — and continues to be — the protection of front-line services provided through the drugs initiative funding.

As the Deputes are 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.