Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am looking for answers. The biggest challenge facing society is the adverse consequences for the welfare of many children posed by alcohol. Drug and alcohol abuse are key features in this report and they have a damaging effect on children. The failure by society to address alcohol as a fundamental problem places insurmountable problems on the child protection system. It is not just about Tusla and gardaí but society and our ambivalence to alcohol and substance abuse. One in four deaths of men aged between 15 and 39 in Ireland is due to alcohol and it is a factor in half of all suicides in Ireland and over one third of deliberate self harm cases, peaking at weekends and public holidays. What are the answers to this issue? It plays a huge role and there is very little talk around it. The witnesses gave great presentations and I would like Dr. Eddie Murphy to talk a bit about this. Perhaps some of the GPs could also respond.

I work in this area with families impacted by alcohol. When one parent lives with another who is an alcoholic the stress, anxiety and mental health issues are off the Richter scale. They cannot be present to their children and their children end up looking after the other children in the family. It is devastating.