155. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of local drugs task force meetings that officials from her Department have attended and for which drugs task forces in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37294/14]

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Jan O'Sullivan): The number of local drug task force meetings attended in the years in question by officials from my Department is shown below:

Dublin 12 Local Drug Task Force: 2011 -   9; 2012 - 10; 2013 - 6; 2014 - 4 to date.

South Inner City Local Drug Task Force: 2011 - data not available; 2012 - 9; 2013 - 8; 2014 - 6 to date.

I can confirm to the Deputy that the education sector is represented on other local drug task forces by representatives of the relevant Education and Training Board. My Department contributes to Government policy on drugs at a national level through the National Drugs Strategy. My Department is represented on the Oversight Forum on Drugs (OFD) and the National Co-Ordinating Committee for Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (NCC-DATF), which are chaired by the Department of Health.