Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 393: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has secured a commitment from the nine funding sources contributing to the funding of the National Drugs Strategy 2009 to 2016 to sustain their financial commitment. [6088/10]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Expenditure on various aspects of the National Drugs Strategy in 2009, across a range of Departments and agencies, was in the region of €275m. All of the organisations involved are committed to the implementation of the Strategy and, in this context, my Department will be monitoring the overall implementation of the Strategy through progress on individual actions.

Departments and agencies are in the process of finalising their allocations to the relevant areas of the National Drugs Strategy at present and my Department is pursuing the completion of this process. With reductions in the level of public spending generally, it is likely that the overall spend in the drugs area in 2010 will be marginally down on the 2009 level. However, through my co-ordination role across the Strategy, I am working to ensure that the optimum use is made of the available resources, which will again total a substantial amount. As part of this, every effort will be made to protect front-line services to the greatest extent possible.