Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the Government's policy on drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3434/17]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Government policy on tackling the drug problem is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The Strategy is a cross cutting area of public policy and service delivery, which requires a coordinated response to tackling the drug problem, involving the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. The overall objective of the Strategy is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. Prevention programmes constitute a significant part of the Government's response to the drug problem, particularly among young persons.

As the nature and extent of the drug problem has changed since the commencement of the current Strategy in 2009, Government is committed to putting a new drugs strategy in place this year, when the current policy expires. A Steering Committee has been established to advise me on a new Strategy, with a view to developing an integrated public health approach to substance misuse, defined as the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illegal drugs.

Significant progress has been made in developing the evidence-base for the new Strategy. This includes a high level review of the current Strategy by an international panel of experts, a review of systematic evidence reviews of interventions to tackle the drug problem and a trends analysis of the drugs situation in the past 10 years. In addition, multi-stakeholder focus groups have given their views on measures to address gaps in the current response to the drugs problem and a public consultation process has taken place, which has resulted in over 2000 submissions.

It is envisaged that the new Strategy will be based on a health-led approach to the drug problem and build on progress achieved under previous drug strategies. I understand that the Steering Committee is continuing with its deliberations and is expected to submit its final report to me by the end of March. I hope to be in a position to bring my proposals to Government on the new Strategy thereafter.