[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 145 - National Drugs Strategy [12222/11]. (19 May 2011)
External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2...
145. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will clarify if the budget for the drugs initiative Tackling Problem Drug Use, which was previously held within the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, will continue to be available now that the Department of Health and Children is responsible for the national drugs strategy; if there is a commitment to the continued funding of regional drugs task forces; if additional resources will be made available to drugs task forces to deal with the greater workload brought about by the introduction of alcohol under the national substance misuse strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12222/11]
Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy Róisín Shortall): With effect from 1 May 2011, functions relating to the co-ordination of the National Drugs Strategy, including responsibility for the Drugs Initiative budget transferred to the Department of Health and Children from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. In excess of €33m has been made available for the Drugs Initiative this year, of which €9.7m has been allocated to support some 134 community-based drugs projects in Regional Drugs Task Force areas.
In the Programme for Government (Government for National Recovery 2011-2016), this Government has committed itself to supporting the principles and objectives of a national strategy to deal with issues relating to the misuse of both drugs and alcohol.
A Steering Group has been working to develop proposals and make recommendations on the alcohol aspects of a National Substance Misuse Strategy. The drugs element of the Strategy is already in place in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-16 which was published in 2009.
Repository Staff Only: item control page