asked the Minister for Health if he will make a special allocation of funds to the Health Education Bureau to undertake a national programme of counselling and preventive education on the misuse of drugs similar to that undertaken in 1982.

The Health Education Bureau are continuing to pursue various activities designed to reduce the incidence of substance abuse.

The bureau's plans for 1984 include the production and distribution of materials such as videos, films, printed hand-out material and training packs, each designed with a particular target group in mind. These target groups include second level schoolchildren, young school leavers, low literacy groups, parents, teachers and youth leaders.

The bureau will be concentrating their efforts in the information and teacher training areas on high risk locations as far as potential for drug abuse is concerned.

The Deputy will be aware of the constraints on the health services because of the economic situation but I feel nevertheless that the general allocation of funds to the bureau this year should permit them to maintain a reasonable level of anti-drug activity. I am conscious, however, that much more could usefully be spent on the area.

Would the Minister agree that in 1982 a special allocation of £250,000 was given to the Health Education Bureau over and above their ordinary allocation and that they made very good use of that money? Would he not accept that in view of the seriously escalating drug problem, particularly in this city, a greater effort should be made in education to prevent young people coming into contact with drugs of addiction and that the ideal way of doing this is through the HEB, although naturally families and schools will play their role? Will the Minister also accept that there should have been some allowance for inflation in the amount given to the HEB this year?

The current position is that about 40,000 copies of the booklet Understanding Drugs, which is targeted specifically at low literacy groups, will be made available through various community agencies within the next three months or so. Five videos aimed at early school leavers have been produced by the Department of Education and are currently being shown on a pilot basis. The Institute for Drug Dependence in London have developed a training pack for persons dealing with drug abuse called Drugs Demystified and the HEB are adapting it for use in Ireland. Three assessment programmes have been held for this purpose. The bureau estimate that this year in their substance abuse activities they will be spending about £88,000. There is an additional allocation this year of £600,000, most of which will go to the treatment centres, which are in dire need of development. The additional allocation on the drugs side is about £600,000.

While the Minister states that £600,000 will be used to deal with drug abuse, none of that money will be going to the Health Education Bureau. Will he not accept that the major emphasis in dealing with this serious problem should be on prevention and that the ideal vehicle is education? The Minister has responsibility for the HEB. Would he not consider that they should get additional finance to try to prevent a further escalation of this problem?

The budget of the HEB is £1.25 million and rather than spread it over a multitude of areas they have decided to concentrate on three particular areas, of which this is one. The impact will be quite considerable. I have not had any approach from the bureau seeking additional funds for that area. If I receive such an approach I will consider it. The HEB are doing a great deal of work in this critical area and are determined to continue.

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