Drugs activist warns of major crisis

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

Fergus McCabe said the country faced "huge demands" including growing heroin use in the regions and cocaine and crack use in Dublin which needed urgent attention to avoid "a major crisis".

The veteran community activist, who resigned from the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST) last week, said the Government's National Drugs Strategy was being directed by a "part-time" Minister of State, who had to share the drugs brief with the housing portfolio.

He said political commitment and enthusiasm had "seriously gone adrift" and that the hard-fought partnership structures were "beginning to unravel".

Mr McCabe said he resigned as the sole community representative on the NDST for specific reasons, including:

The Government's failure to implement much of the National Drugs Strategy.

An "outrageous" decision to give the 10 regional drug task forces (RDTFs) €5 million in funding when €15m was needed.

The "fiasco" over the 'emerging needs' fund for Dublin, which was given an initial budget of €1m, when €5m was required.

"Solo runs" by individual departments on drug issues without consulting drug strategy structures.

"The drugs problem is at best stable in relation to heroin, but there are huge new demands from cocaine and crack cocaine and the spread of heroin outside of Dublin," said Mr McCabe.

Mr McCabe said that, since 2002, there was no full-time Minister of State for drugs and that the current incumbent, Noel Ahern, had both the drugs and housing briefs.

"Noel Ahern is doing his bit, I suppose. It's unfortunate he came in and is not giving his full attention. If he had, it might have been better. I suppose it's hard for him to make a good job of it if he's only doing it half time."

A spokeswoman for Mr Ahern said that, following revised estimates yesterday, the 2006 drugs budget would jump by 37%, from €31.5m to €43m.

She said this would expand funding to the RDTFs and the emerging needs fund.

She rejected claims Mr Ahern was a "part-time" minister and said that, in common with other Ministers of State, he had a number of areas of responsibility.

She said the Government was "fully committed" to implementing the National Drugs Strategy.