Health | The extent to which international police cooperation is impeding the distribution of illegal drugs among young people

To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which international police cooperation is helping to impede the distribution of illegal drugs amongst young people with particular reference to ensuring that drug rehabilitation programmes are readily available and that the supply chain is adequately interrupted to such a way as to benefit the health and wellbeing of the younger population; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Governments  response to addressing the drug problem is set out in the National Drug Strategy ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025’. Cooperation on international policing matters and regulation of supply chain issues fall under the responsibility and ambit of the Department of Justice and An Garda Siochana.

Under the National Drugs Strategy, the Department of Health in association with the HSE has responsibility for leading on the public health responses to substance misuse. Under the Health Act, 2004, as amended, the HSE either directly provides or arranges for organisations to provide health and personal services including those relating to rehabilitation on its behalf.

The Department of Health and the Dept of Justice are in regular contact as part of the joined up approach across Government to implementing the national drug strategy.