EXCLUSION FROM FUND TO FIGHT DRUGS IS CRITICISED

LIMERICK, Galway and Waterford have been excluded from the Government's
pounds 15 million anti-drugs fund because they do not have a serious heroin
problem, compared to Dublin and Cork.

This emerged yesterday when the decision was described by Labour Deputy Jan
O'Sullivan as a slap in the face for the voluntary groups and agencies
involved in combating drug abuse in Limerick.

Deputy O'Sullivan criticised Minister of State Chris Flood for the decision
by claiming he did not operate a policy which could truly be called
national, as key areas of the country which need extra funding had been ignored.

"The decision to exclude Limerick and other cities, apart from Dublin and
Cork, from this latest round of funding will come as a slap in the face for
all of the voluntary agencies who are in the forefront of the fight against
drugs," Deputy O'Sullivan said.

Limerick is winning the battle against drugs, with pounds 2 million worth
seized by gardaED in the past year alone, but still there are areas of
deprivation and unemployment where the drugs menace has a stranglehold,
claimed the Labour Deputy.

"This Government cannot genuinely claim to operate a policy of social
inclusion if it ignores places such as Limerick when it is dispensing
funding to tackle social problems such as drug abuse," she said.

Deputy O'Sullivan urged Minister Flood to allocate more funding to Limerick,
so that all of the groups who are involved in combating drug abuse can
continue their work.

A spokesman for Minister Flood, who has responsibility for the country's
national drugs' strategy, said the pounds 15 million plan announced in the
past week was aimed at a major crackdown in the local drugs task force areas
with the highest levels of heroin abuse, mainly Dublin, Bray and Cork City.

"The decision not to include Limerick, Waterford and Galway and other areas
in the latest round of funding was primarily because these cities do not
have a serious heroin problem at the present time," the spokesman said.

However, the Government has already introduced a complementary initiative
The Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and funding has already been
allocated to these cities to help prevent drug abuse.

Minister Flood has also initiated a review of the overall national drugs
strategy which he hopes will be completed by the end of the year.

"This review will examine the response to the drugs problem, not just in the
drug task forces areas but in the country as a whole," said the spokesman.