The Department of Education represents the weakest link in the multi-agency National Drugs Strategy chain and fails to participate in local drugs task forces, the Labour Party has claimed.
In its submission to the Government's review of the National Drugs Strategy, the party declared its support for the strategy but stressed there were "major gaps" in the prevention, treatment and control of drug abuse.
Ms Roisin Shortall TD, the Labour Party spokeswoman on education, described the Department as the "least effective actor" in the model.
"It is our experience that when task forces requested the participation of the Department of Education, they were offered the education co-ordinator of the local partnership instead, who has very limited dealings with the Department," she said.
Ms Shortall said her party wished to see the local schools inspector, who is attached directly to the Department of Education, participate in the task forces.
A spokesman for the Department yesterday said two senior officials had been nominated as contact persons to address education issues brought to the Department through the education co-ordinator.
The Labour Party's submission also recommends the increased availability of methadone treatment and the speedy provision of drug treatment centres in areas identified by local task forces.
The Government's review of the strategy is welcomed by the submission, which states that since 1996, when the first report of the Ministerial Task Force was published, the number of heroin addicts had increased from 3,593 addicts to an estimated 13,000.
An increase in the number of gardai stationed in disadvantaged areas is supported by the Labour Party, which also suggests that investigations carried out by the Criminal Assets Bureau should be extended to middle-ranking drug-dealers.