'SEA-CHANGE' IN HEROIN-AFFECTED AREAS CLAIMED

There has been a "sea-change" in the areas around the State affected
by heroin use, according to Mr Chris Flood, the Minister of State with
responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy.

He was speaking after the announcement of the allocation of pounds 15
million to local drugs task forces in areas of Dublin and Cork, as
well as Bray in Co Wicklow. The task forces were established in
communities worst affected by heroin abuse.

This latest financial allocation will be made available to the task
forces over the next two years. It follows a pounds 25 million
package of measures announced last April.

The Minister told The Irish Times that the money would assist about
800 people working in a voluntary capacity in these areas to fight the
drug problem. He said there had been a lot of progress in local
communities in fighting drug use.

Each task force will be asked to submit proposals to the Department of
Tourism, Sport and Recreation, which oversees the National Drugs
Strategy. Mr Flood said the money would allow these communities to
bring forward new projects.

Each area would have its own priorities "and we will be very flexible
in deciding how the money is spent."

The areas that will benefit from the funding in Dublin are
Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, the Canal Communities (Rialto,
Inchicore, Bluebell), Clondalkin, the north and south inner city;
Dublin 12 (Crumlin, Drimnagh, Kimmage, Walkins town), Dun Laoghaire/
Rathdown; Finglas/Cabra; north east Dublin (Darndale, Killbarrack,
Coolock) and Tallaght.

The two areas outside Dublin to receive money are north Cork city and
Bray, Co Wicklow. Bray is the only addition to the original 12 local
drugs task forces.

The Labour Party TD for Limerick East, Ms Jan O'Sullivan, said the
Minister "clearly does not operate a policy which can truly be called
national as he has ignored key areas of our country which need extra
funding."

However, Mr Flood rejected Ms O'Sullivan's criticism at the exclusion
of Limerick city from the scheme. He said the city had already
received funding from other schemes and did not have a significant
heroin problem like that in the areas covered by the task forces.

The Fine Gael spokesman on justice, Mr Jim Higgins, welcomed the
additional funding but called for the introduction of intensive drugs
education programmes in all primary schools in the major danger areas.