Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the structure of the new Office of the Minister for Drugs; the number of people it employs; the person to whom local and regional taskforces are accountable to within this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33244/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The Office of the Minister for Drugs (OMD) was established on 1st September 2009 and it subsumed the functions previously undertaken by the Drugs Strategy Unit of my Department and the National Drugs Strategy Team. Its primary role will be to co-ordinate and oversee the delivery of the new National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016.

Thirteen people are currently working in the OMD. In addition, officers at Assistant Principal level (or equivalent) are being assigned to the OMD on a half-time basis from various statutory organisations. Funding is also provided to support the active participation of the community and voluntary sectors with the Office and protocols in this regard are currently being finalised.

Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces, report to me in relation to implementation of the National Drugs Strategy, as Minister of State with responsibility in that regard. A Drugs Advisory Group has been established to advise me on operational and policy matters relating to the National Drugs Strategy. Liaison Officers from the Drugs Advisory Group have been nominated for each Drugs Task Force. These Liaison Officers will act as a conduit to facilitate communication in both directions between the Drugs Task Forces and the OMD. Furthermore, I am at present half way through a series of meetings with all of the Drugs Task Forces to outline the new arrangements and to encourage their active participation in the shaping of the overall effort to tackle the drugs problem.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of drug task forces in place; the areas covered by same; the reports received by him from each group; the action taken as a result of such reports; the liaison or action taken between himself and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform as a result of such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34206/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Currently, there are 14 Local and 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces throughout the country. The appendix below sets out details in this regard.

As part of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-16 launched by An Taoiseach last month, new institutional structures have been put in place to support the implementation of the Strategy, including the establishment of the Office of the Minister for Drugs (OMD). One of the key roles of the new Office will be to support the work of the Task Forces.

The Strategy provides that Task Forces will report to the OMD for expenditure and activity relating to their projects twice a year. In addition, they will be required to produce an annual statement, in an agreed format, giving an assessment of the work and outputs of their projects — and their broader strategic and co-ordinating work — in the previous 12 months. I expect to receive the first of such reports and statements early in 2010.

In addition, statutory, community and voluntary representatives will act as liaison persons between the Task Forces and the Office and will be providing regular updates on relevant issues at the Drugs Advisory Group, which I chair. The Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform is represented on this and all the new bodies that are being put in place to drive the implementation of the Strategy.

My Department is in regular contact with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform who will be actively involved in rolling out the new Strategy. I recently met with Minister Ahern and his Officials on this matter, the first of the twice yearly meetings under the new Strategy.