Mr. David Carroll:

I thank the Chairman, Deputies and Senators. I am the executive director of BeLonG To youth service. BeLonG To is Ireland's national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, youth organisation. We aim to support and resource LGBT young people through a range of different services and supports around the country.

Our drug service is unique in that it is the only service in the country which works with LGBT populations around their drug use. The service is a long lasting service, set up in 2007 on foot of research which showed some complexity of drug uses in LGBT populations. It is funded since 2007 through the North Inner City Drugs Task Force, the support for which we are very grateful. To explain the rationale behind our submission, I am delighted to welcome my colleague, Mr. Gerard Roe, BeLonG To's drugs and alcohol education and outreach worker.