Community groups have welcomed plans in the Programme for Government to consider setting up “mini” Criminal Assets Bureaus for areas hit by gangs and drugs.

Medical and community leaders who were members of an official alcohol strategy group have slammed Government moves to drop plans to ban alcohol sponsorship of sporting events.

Children have a “very bleak future” if the Government is unable to take on the vested interests in the alcohol and sports industries, the country’s largest representative body of community drug projects has said.

The Government has been accused of political cowardice for caving in to the drinks industry and not setting a date for the banning of alcohol sponsorship at sporting events.

A range of measures to tackle alcohol misuse, including minimum pricing in supermarkets, is expected to go to Cabinet immediately after being agreed by a sub-committee of ministers.

Senior health and community figures are calling on the Government to end the “drift” on its long-promised alcohol policy when a key Cabinet group meets today.

The largest representative body of drug projects in the country has called for a national debate on decriminalisation.

The Government was criticised for failing to publicly endorse its own expert report on alcohol.

COMMUNITY drug groups have warned the Government they can’t implement a new national drugs strategy with slashed budgets and a “part-time” minister for drugs.

COMMUNITY activists in Dublin’s north inner city said few local people were yesterday mourning the death of Michael “Roly” Cronin.

IRELAND must seize the window of opportunity it has to ensure it doesn’t end up with the same racial problems as Paris, Amsterdam and London, a community activist said yesterday.

GARDA commissioner Fachtna Murphy issued a chilling warning about a new drugs threat facing this country known as crystal meth.

The director of Women’s Aid, Margaret Martin, is to be honoured with the ’James Larkin Thirst for Justice’ Award at the Labour Party conference this weekend.

A SECOND member of the State’s National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST) has criticised the Government’s poor response to the problem of illegal drugs.

ONE of the country’s most senior drugs activists yesterday launched a stinging attack on the Government’s handling of the drugs strategy.

IT was people power that dragged the drugs problem to the top of the political agenda in 1996.

The Government has shown a lack of commitment to tackling the country’s drugs crisis, a leading activist claimed today.

IMPLEMENTATION of the Government’s national drugs strategy is being threatened by the actions of the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health, it was claimed yesterday.

Cormac O'Keeffe