David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 81 and 82 of 4 March 2009, if phase two of the dial to stop drug dealing campaign has begun; the length of time this phase will run for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16773/09]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is committed to the maintenance of the Dail To Stop Drug Dealing initiative; the way the €300,000 which was allocated to this initiative has been spent; the way he proposes to extend this initiative into the future if funding is not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16752/09]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans for the future of the dial to stop drug dealing hotline scheme; the number of areas in which it currently operates; if it is intended to provide adequate funding to allow it to continue in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16727/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 81 and 103 together.

As the Deputies may be aware, I launched the Dial-to-Stop Drug Dealing Campaign in September 2008. The first phase was run across five Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces areas with funding being provided by my Department (€100,000) and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (€50,000). The confidential number used in the campaign is open for all to use, regardless of which area they come from and this was highlighted during the national launch.

Following Government approval, €300,000 has been allocated from the Dormant Accounts Fund for 10 further campaigns. Campaigns under phase 2 have already rolled out in the following areas:

Cork Local Drugs Task Force and the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force (23rd March);

Co. Kerry (25th March);

North Dublin City and County RDTF (31st March);

Mid-West RDTF (2nd April); and

South East RDTF (27th April).

The dates for the launch of the phase 3 local campaigns that have been finalised are listed below. It is likely that the remaining local campaigns will be rolled out in May:

East Coast RDTF — 12th May;

Dun Laoghaire LDTF — 18th May;

Finglas Cabra LDTF — 21st May;

Bray LDTF — not finalised yet; and

Midlands RDTF — likely to be between 11th and 18th May.

With regard to any future funding, as the Dormant Accounts funding is once-off in nature, the €300,000 referred to above is the total that will be allocated. As the allocation for funding for drugs initiatives in my Department in 2009 is fully committed, I regret that there is no scope, at present, for further campaigns. Neither do I envisage any additional campaigns in 2010.

However, by the end of phase 3, I am confident that all Task Forces that expressed an interest — and had the capacity to do so — will have received funding to run a campaign in their areas. Should Task Forces decide to run further campaigns, they would need to do so from within their existing resources.

Again, I would like to emphasise, as I highlighted during the national launch, the confidential number used in the campaign is open for all to use, regardless of which area they come from. Calls from the areas that have already run campaigns are still being made to the confidential phone-line. I understand that there is a fixed cost for every call answered so the campaign will run until the funding is exhausted. The level of calls, therefore, over the coming weeks and months will determine the lifetime of the funding. At the current level of calls, it is envisaged that the line could remain open up to early autumn.

Overall, I believe that the campaign to date has proved to be successful. According to the latest information, I understand that there have been nearly 2,200 calls to the phone-line that have generated nearly 600 information reports to the Gardaí.

The information reports have been referred to a wide geographical spread of Garda stations for follow up. The calls are spread right across the country, including areas that have not directly run a campaign. In all the areas where the campaign is being rolled out, I understand that the local Gardaí are following strong lines of enquiry resulting from the information arising from the free phone number.

The Gardaí have also confirmed that there has been a number of seizures and arrests on foot of information received including:

the seizure of a substantial quantity of cannabis in one area;

the seizure of a substantial quantity of cannabis and a firearm in another area; and

the seizure of a substantial quantity of heroin in one area.

Finally, the Deputies should note that, from the evidence of the original campaign in Blanchardstown in 2006, it would seem that campaigns are best targeted at small local areas and for a defined short period.