The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established by Government in 2002 and has responsibility for a wide range of policies and programmes in respect of community and rural development, drugs, volunteering, the Gaeltacht, Irish language and the islands. With a staffing complement of c. 270, the Department is currently headquartered in Dublin, with its other main offices located at Na Forbacha, Co. Galway, and Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo. On foot of Government decisions on the Decentralisation Programme, the headquarters of the Department will move to Charlestown, Co. Mayo.

The Department's Mission Statement is "to promote and support the development of communities and to advance the use of the Irish language"

.For further information on The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs please go to:

http://www.pobail.ie/en/AboutUs/

Local Drugs Task Forces

The Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFs), comprising a partnership between the statutory, voluntary and community sectors, were established in 1997 in the areas experiencing the worst levels of opiate misuse. These are: Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, the Canal Communities, Clondalkin, Dublin North Inner City; Dublin South Inner City, Dublin 12, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Finglas-Cabra, Cork City, North East Dublin and Tallaght. Bray was designated as an LDTF area in 2000.

The LDTFs action plans include a range of measures in relation to treatment, rehabilitation, education, prevention and curbing local supply. The focus of these plans is on the development of community-based initiatives to link in with and add value to the programmes and services already being delivered or planned by the statutory agencies in the LDTF areas. In addition, the LDTFs provide a mechanism for the co-ordination of services in these areas, while at the same time allowing local communities and voluntary organisations to participate in the planning, design and delivery of those services.

The type of projects receiving support as part of the plans include local information, advice and support centres for drug users and their families, Community Drug Teams, special projects aimed at children involved in drugs or at risk, the production of drug awareness materials, drugs training programmes for community groups, teachers, youth workers and other professionals, rehabilitation programmes and initiatives to allow local communities to work with the State Agencies in addressing the issues of supply in their areas.

Regional Drugs Task Forces

One of the key recommendations of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008, is the establishment of Regional Drugs Task Forces throughout the country. There are 10 RDTFs countrywide, established to develop appropriate policies to deal with drug mis-use in the regions. The RDTFs are bringing together all the State agencies involved in the field of drug mis-use as well as the voluntary and community sectors. Each RDTF is responsible for putting in place a strategy to tackle drug misuse specifically in their regions. Their establishment represents an innovative approach to tackling the drug problem on a regional basis. The role of the RDTFs is to research, develop and implement a co-ordinated response to drug mis-use through a partnership approach. The RDTFs include representation from the Community, Voluntary & Statutory sectors.

The type of projects receiving support from RDTF’s include local information and awareness campaigns, Community Based Drugs Initiatives, drugs training programmes for community groups, teachers, youth workers and other professionals, rehabilitation programmes and initiatives to allow local communities to work with the State Agencies in addressing the issues of supply in their areas.