asked the Minister for Health the progress which has been made in implementing the recommendations of the ministerial Task Force on Drug Abuse.

I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 490 and 491 of 19 June 1984 in which I outlined the steps which had been taken to implement the recommendations of the task force at that time. The following is an outline of the progress which has been made in this area since my reply of 19 June 1984. On the law enforcement side, the Misuse of Drugs Bill, 1984, and the Criminal Justice Bill, 1984, were enacted. All of the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984, have already been brought into operation.

On the education side, various information seminars, involving teachers and health board personnel, have been held which are aimed at increasing awareness of the drug problem. In addition, more extended training has been held for smaller groups of teachers who are already engaged in health education, counselling or pastoral care work in schools. This training has taken the form of a one week summer course followed up by day workshops held during the school year. A group of the teachers who are participating in these workshops are preparing programmes on teaching about drugs at various age levels and based on their own work in schools. It is hoped to disseminate these, when ready, and to prepare a video film on class work.

The Health Education Bureau and the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee recently jointly launched a new drug education programme. The programme consists of a series of lectures in the CDVEC adult education programme which are available to anyone interested in learning more about drug use and abuse. Participants will be given the new booklet Understanding Drugs which has been developed as part of the project.

On the youth and community development side, the youth service grant scheme was increased by 13.6 per cent in 1984, bringing the total allocated to £1,871,650. This was distributed to 24 youth organisations which cater for over 300,000 young people. In addition to this, in 1984 £160,000 was allocated to disadvantaged urban projects. It is now the policy of the Department of Labour, in so far as it is possible, to orientate the cash for the disadvantaged groups towards those areas identified by the task force as being at risk.

In the area of rehabilitation services, the Coolmine Therapeutic Community submitted proposals for the expansion of its existing induction centre in the inner city area of Dublin and for the establishment of an induction centre in Dún Laoghaire. I recently made the necessary funds available to enable Coolmine to proceed with these proposals.

In the area of research, the Medico-Social Research Board has recently completed two surveys. The first of these was aimed at quantifying the drug problem in the Dún Laoghaire area and to compare heroin abuse in a local authority flats district with that in adjoining housing estates. The other survey was aimed at establishing the distinguishing features between the 90 per cent of those in the 15 to 24 age group, living in a north central Dublin area, who do not abuse hard drugs and the 10 per cent who decide to abuse hard drugs, as documented in the board's earlier report.

In accordance with the recommendation of the task force, I also recently established the new National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse, with specific terms of reference. The committee, which will now assume responsibility for pursuing the implementation of the recommendations of the task force, had its first meeting on 25 March 1985.

In the course of my replies to the next four Parliamentary Questions I will be dealing with the treatment services and I will outline the progress made in this area.

A couple of questions arise from the Minister's reply. Is there any indication that the changes in the Drugs Act and the implementation of those sections of the Criminal Justice Act which are now in effect have had an impact on the drugs problem particularly in relation to drug pushing? Can the Minister indicate to what extent the teachers who are involved in the drug education programme are located in high risk areas and particularly the high risk areas referred to in the task force report which included parts of the Minister's own constituency, parts of Ballymun, the north inner city area and parts of the south inner city area?

Projects intended specifically to develop youth services approved to date include in the Ballymun area £24,000; in the Finglas area £24,000; in the south inner city £12,000; in Darndale £8,000; in Bonnybrook £12,000; in Kilmore £6,000 and £24,000 in Neilstown. In addition, in the Ballymun, Finglas and Neilstown areas the grants involve support for the employment of two full time youth workers. The remaining four areas I mentioned involve support for one full time youth worker. These are new grants which are paid. I am concentrating the expenditure of money in these areas.

The Misuse of Drugs Act and the operation of the Criminal Justice Act are having an impact. The Drugs Squad are confident that the additional powers they have been given and extension of a maximum prison sentence for a convicted drug pusher from 14 years to life imprisonment are also having an impact. The level of seizures has increased. It seems that the level of abuse has reached a plateau to some extent. The authorities assure me that there is no let up. I am looking forward to the work of the National Coordinating Committee. I expect to get regular monthly reports from that widely representative committee. They met for the first time in the past few days and I spoke to them.

How many teachers have taken part in the training course? Is the Minister satisfied that every school, particularly in the high risk areas, has access to sufficient educational facilities?

I have not got the precise number of teachers who have actually taken part. I can get that information for the Deputy and I will send it on to him.

Is the Minister satisfied that every school has access to proper educational facilities?

The HEB have always made a very big effort. The old HEB booklet was difficult to read. The new booklet is up front and is extremely beneficial to young people in school and to teachers.

The information which I sought in my first supplementary was about teachers doing these courses being located in the areas designated as high risk. I take it that the Minister does not have that information available to him at the moment. Could I ask him to ensure that this scheme of education of teachers would be directed primarily towards schools in the high risk areas? I understand that drug abuse is highest among educationally deprived or disadvantaged young people. Could I ask the Minister to give a commitment in that regard?

I can assure the Deputy that the resources at my disposal will be geared into that area. Currently, under this year's budget I have a total resource of £650,000 for voluntary community organisations for once-off capital projects. I would welcome applications from areas designated as high risk for the expenditure of that money. Equally, under the Combat Poverty Agency subhead of my Department I have a resource this year of about £1.1 million. I would welcome projects with relevance to Combat Poverty which could be put before the new board as soon as it is established. Legislation is going through the Seanad at the moment, which will be coming to the Dáil quite shortly. Overall, I hope to allocate, out of those two sums mentioned — close on £2 million — a high proportion to these high risk areas. None of that money has yet been spent this year and I am awaiting applications. There have been advertisements in the newspapers. If Deputies know of any groups of poverty projects dealing with that area, I shall be only too willing to allocate a substantial proportion of that money to them.

The Minister has said there has been no let-up on the part of the authorities in the detection of drug pushers. The Government's statement on the task force report was that the strength of the Drug Squad would be kept under constant review. This is not a specific area of the Minister's responsibility but, as he has referred to it, can he say what increase has been made in the numbers in the Drug Squad? The Minister stated that the necessary funds have been made available for the Coolmine centre expansion programme. Is it true that Coolmine have received in the region of £70,000 less than they require for their 1985 programme?

To deal with Coolmine first, I have met the Coolmine community officers — admittedly, this was before Christmas. There is no indication that they are in any way short of money. When they said at the end of last year that they wanted additional moneys for their inner city induction centre and the proposed development of the services in Dún Laoghaire, I agreed to give an additional allocation of £59,000. That money was paid out before Christmas and I do not think it has yet been expended. Coolmine, in terms of subsidisation from the Eastern Health Board and the general facility in St. Martha's and in the city, apparently are not short of money. If they are, I shall be only too willing to consider the matter.

Equally, I have not heard of any shortage of additional gardaí for the Drug Squad. The last figure was around 40 gardaí, including the allocation of additional ban ghardaí in the drug units in Dublin, Cork and Limerick as recommended by the task force. The Drug Squad are working extremely well. The less publicity they get at times, the better they work. I am quite satisfied with the organisation of the Drug Squad at inspectorate, superintendent and commissioner level.

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