571. Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs  when the value for money review on the drugs initiative was completed; the value of the savings to the Exchequer generated by the implementation of the conclusions from this report. [33404/07]

Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Deputy Pat Carey): The Expenditure Review of the Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFs) was completed late 2006 and published on my Department’s website in January 2007. The Review found that: the LDTF Programme has been effective and highly relevant to the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy; extensive measures have been implemented to address the drug problem at a local level; and there are indications of high cost benefit ratios of projects such as those delivered through the LDTF programme.

A number of areas were identified in the Review and substantial progress has been made in addressing those issues. These include the development of (i) clearer reporting relationships and monitoring systems between projects, funders and the LDTFs and (ii) stronger evaluation processes in relation to future mainstreaming of projects to statutory agencies. In particular, the Deputy should note that a more rigorous financial feedback system has been developed. In addition, indicators — to gauge the performance and activity of projects — have also been incorporated into the National Drugs Strategy Team’s reporting mechanism for the Task Forces. I am confident that the implementation of these measures has contributed to the overall robustness of the procedures and processes currently in place within the National Drugs Strategy.

Vol. 643 No. 3 Written Answers Tuesday, 11 December 2007