A NEW GOVERNMENT ministry with overall responsibility for tackling drug use will form part of a new eight-year drugs strategy to be launched within weeks.
The strategy, which will aim to reduce the prevalence of harmful drug use by 2016, is expected to include measures to tackle alcohol abuse for the first time.
However, senior sources say that it will not contain any funding commitments and new service developments will need to take place within existing budgets for the foreseeable future.
The nature of drug use has changed significantly since the last strategy was drawn up. It has become a nationwide problem in recent years, while the proportion of people who use cocaine more than doubled in most parts of the country between 2003 and 2007.
The new blueprint will place a large emphasis on the national scale of the problem, while the effectiveness of many existing services will also be reviewed, including the capacity of methadone to help to get people off drugs.
The strategy, which is being finalised by a steering group that includes representatives from statutory, community and voluntary sectors, is due to be completed towards the end of this month.
John Curran, the Minister of State with responsibility for Drugs, declined to comment on the strategy, except to say he looked forward to bringing it to the Cabinet in April.
However, senior officials say some of key areas in the new strategy will be:
More effective measures to reduce the supply of drugs in communities.
Enhanced prevention, treatment and rehabilitation measures.
Value-for-money services backed up with research into the effectiveness of treatment interventions.
The recommendation to establish an Office of the Minister for Drugs would create a body with overall responsibility for operation and policy issues regarding drugs for the first time.
A representative from the community and voluntary sector is also expected to be appointed to the new office.
Plans to widen the remit of the strategy to tackle alcohol misuse are still being debated by officials, although many are optimistic it will form part of the final document.
The model for this is loosely based on the Office of the Minister for Children, which is widely seen as a successful attempt to draw together work that was previously spread across a number of Government departments.
Officials say value for money in services will be crucial in an environment where the public finances are deteriorating.
Funding for drug treatment services has dropped slightly from €34.7 million in 2008 to €34.6 million in 2009.
However, Government officials say total expenditure on drug treatment has been increasing significantly in recent years.
