244. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if the new national drugs strategy will definitively address alcohol in a comprehensive manner, or if a standalone national alcohol strategy is needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39335/24]

247. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the new national drugs strategy will pay due attention to alcohol relative to its impact on Irish life, on the health service, on the criminal justice system, on education, on road safety and on workplace productivity; if he believes a standalone national alcohol strategy would be a better means of addressing these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39343/24]

Colm Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Health: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 247 together.

The national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, is a health-led response to drug and alcohol use, and it runs from 2017 to 2025. The Strategic action plan for 2023-2024, contains 34 actions across six strategic priorities. Three of the strategic priorities have a focus on alcohol use:

• strengthen the prevention of drug and alcohol use and the associated harms among children and young people,
• enhance access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community an
• develop harm reduction responses and integrated care pathways for high risk drug users.

The Department intends to commission an independent evaluation of the strategy in Q4 2024. It is expected that the evaluation will be completed in early 2025.

The recommendations of the Citizens Assembly will be critical in shaping the future development of drugs policy. Policy will also be guided by a) the views of people with lived and living experience of drug use and b) international collaboration on evidence-based policies and practices on drugs

The proposed timeframe for the finalisation of the new national drugs strategy is the first quarter of 2025.

Information on the Department's alcohol policy is set out here .

I am fully aware of the harms of alcohol use and the overlap with other forms of drug use. It is my ambition that the next national drugs strategy will address the reasons why people use drugs and alcohol, reduce the harms associated with problematic drugs and alcohol use and support recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.