Ms Paula Leonard:

It is important that we recognise and acknowledge the tremendous work not just in the past 18 months but also in the past 20 years that regional and local drug and alcohol task forces, charities, voluntary organisations, family support centres and resource centres have done in this area.

We have a number of evidence-based programmes happening in Ireland to support families. We know that skills-based programmes teach families coping skills, understanding addiction, understanding services and how to navigate them and maintaining support for a family when they are going through treatment. All those things are based on evidence. Task forces and voluntary organisations such as mine, the Alcohol Forum, have done significant research and work over ten to 15 years to see what works. We have programmes such as Parents under Pressure. In the Alcohol Forum there is the moving parents and children together, M-PACT, programme. The strengthening families programme is delivered in 18 sites across the country. We know what works, we know how it works, we know how to replay it to families and work with families.

What we do not have is investment in those programmes and enough joined-up thinking about them. Tusla and the HSE came some way and made a major step forward with the publication of a joint Hidden Harm strategic statement, which looked at the impact that parental alcohol and other drug use is having on children. What we have not seen following that is a budget that would increase the availability of the types of programmes and support services that are needed at community level. In Ballymun, and others will be able to talk about this, there are some very effective programmes. I must credit the colleagues who have been working on this agenda throughout the country, but what we need now is investment and more involvement of families in the treatment end.