In view of the fact that Ballymun has been designated a high-risk area and since there is already a community-based group there providing counselling and advice to drug addicts in the area, a service that is proving very successful, would the Minister consider making available funding for a full-time co-ordinator as requested by this group so that their work might be extended?

I have a particular view in that regard and it is that work of this nature can be done under the general auspices of the Eastern Health Board. I am reluctant to have ad hoc groups working separately and independently in this very sensitive and critical area, an area which has substantial security connotations. The funds available for such groups will be channelled through the Eastern Health Board on the recommendation of the task force. I stress that the task force will be given broad policy guidelines in relation to the work to be done by the health board in their own areas. I have received some moneys from Government for next year in respect of this type of work.

Question No. 7.

Arising from the reply——

I would remind Deputies that they were on the last supplementary question so we cannot have any question arising from a final supplementary.

——would the Minister not consider that in view of the response the group in Ballymun are receiving, they should be assisted and encouraged to develop their activities? Having regard to the subversive type of response that is developing in other areas to these matters, surely the group I am talking of should be given every assistance possible.

The answer is positively yes but when the funds are made available through the health board, we are enabled to have constant monitoring and control over what is happening.