RESULTS OF #10 MILLION DRUG INITIATIVE SCHEME TO BE EVALUATED

The success or otherwise of the Government's #10m drug initiative scheme is
to be evaluated by consultants, and will be completed by the end of the
summer.

Tenders for the evaluation process were sought, yesterday, and the
Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation says the results could determine
if the existing system is good enough to cope with the drug problem. Under
the initiative, 13 areas of the country - 12 in Dublin and one in Cork -
were identified as having specific drug abuse problems - involving heroin in
particular - and local drugs task forces were established to respond to the
problem.

Service plans incorporating elements about education, prevention, treatment,
rehabilitation and supply, were implemented in each of the individual task
forces, but the Government now wants to assess just how successfully these
have been working.

Given that our success rate in the rehabilitation of drug-users has come in
for criticism in the past, especially when compared with those of other EU
States, the Government is very anxious that the money invested in this drug
initiative is producing results.

The authorities want to examine the effectiveness of the structures in place
and the effectiveness of the drug task forces, in relation to their terms of
reference and how their plans have impacted on local drug problems. It also
wants to know if selected projects operated by the various task forces are
working, and to find out if the drug initiative dovetails with other
initiatives.

In the tendering process for the external evaluation of the whole
initiative, applicants will be expected to have a proven record of economic
and social research and experience in the area of local and community
development. A copy of the tender brief is available up to Friday, May 1. A
spokesman for the Department said that given the amount of money invested in
the initiative, it was understandable that the authorities would like to
know if it had been working.