Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

42. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his Department's role into the prevention and education pillar in the new national drugs strategy. [16701/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my Department have been members of the Steering Committee tasked with developing a new National Drugs Strategy.  The Steering Committee, which has an independent chair, is made up of officials from various Government Departments, offices and state agencies, An Garda Síochána, representatives of the Regional and Local Drug and Alcohol Taskforces, the Community and Voluntary Sector and people who use drugs.  

The Steering Committee is working to develop a new National Drugs Strategy which will be submitted to the Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy. 

As well as being represented on the main Steering Committee, officials from my Department also participated in the work of a Focus Group on Education and Prevention.  This was one of a series of Focus Groups established to consider particular themes or strands.  The work of the Focus Groups fed into, and informed, the work of the Steering Committee. 

In addition, agencies under the aegis of my Department have also contributed to the work of developing the new draft National Drugs Strategy.  Given the nature of the remit of my Department and the agencies under its aegis, the main focus of their contribution has been on objectives and actions relating to education and prevention. 

These will build on work done to date such as the delivery of SPHE in schools and the provision of Well-being Guidelines for schools.  In this work, my Department collaborates with the HSE and the Department of Health through the Health and Well-being partnership.  Work being done in schools complements Healthy Ireland, the Government’s Framework for Improved Health and Well-being.