Drugs strategy row to be sorted soon, says Ahern

JUNIOR Minister Noel Ahern expects a health services wrangle which it is claimed is threatening the Government’s drugs strategy to be “sorted” within a few weeks.

Community anti-drugs activists in Dublin had claimed a row involving the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) was threatening implementation of the National Drugs Strategy.

Mr Ahern, who has responsibility for drugs strategy said yesterday: “It’s just a slight argument as to what is the policy-making body and what is the operations body. I am confident it will be sorted out in a couple of weeks.”

Earlier, the minister assured community representatives of the Government’s continued support when he attended an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign.

As minister of state 10 years ago, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte told how he prepared the first drugs task force report and established the local drug task forces.

What continued to impress him, he said, was the role played by parents and families, community activists and others, through partnership.

He said he had an uncomfortable feeling things had become too bureaucratic. There was a growing feeling among local communities that the State side of the equation was asserting its control over the anti-drugs campaign at the expense of the local community dimension. Insisting the Government “are not taking their eye off the ball,” Mr Ahern said resources for local drugs task forces had been increased by 18% this year.

Responding to a report in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, the Department of Health said the health services - including the department itself and the HSE - “remain fully committed” to the national drugs strategy.

But the health sector was undergoing a very significant restructuring. Under the new Health Act, the HSE had responsibility to manage and deliver health and personal social services - while the department’s role had changed to focus on matters of policy.

“One of the central tenets of the health reforms is the separation of policy and operational responsibilities within the health sector,” a spokesperson said.

He said a vacancy had arisen on the drugs strategy team as a result of the promotion of the HSE nominee, but that the HSE were actively engaged in identifying a replacement.