Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Considering the amount of money being made by international cartels with the drugs being shipped into Ireland and being sold, people are conscious that the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, has had many successes over the years. Yesterday I read about €1.3 million. We read this regularly in our newspapers. Drugs task forces and other groups have proposed that that money should be ring-fenced. People at home may be worrying about where this money will come from and may feel there may be more worthwhile causes that it could go to. These people are very much part of our community. They are the same as you and me. They are just unfortunate that they are caught up in an addiction. We need to give those people as much support as possible. I believe the consensus at this meeting is that we also need to support front-line, community-based organisations which have been working away tirelessly and remained open during the Covid pandemic.

We have listened to what the witnesses have had to say today and we have had a useful exchange. We will follow up on some of the issues they raised at the meeting. We have got a sense of some of the challenges that are facing people in the Tallaght and Whitechurch area. It is a challenge many are facing. It is a lucky family that has not been touched by the drug epidemic. It happens not only in cities but also in towns and villages. We know the impact it can have. We probably all know somebody who has died from a drugs overdose. We probably all know someone whose family has been caught up in the drugs scene with the awful consequences for those individuals and families.

We have touched on the intimidation that happens to individuals. I have come across families where guns are being put in children's mouths. Pipe bombs have been used and shots have been fired at houses. People have been beaten up and even killed all relating to drugs. I have talked to grandmothers who have been given the choice to sell their home or else a grandchild or other family member will be killed. These are awful things. In many cases the Garda's hands are tied and it is unable to support families in those situations.

The positive message the witnesses have brought today is that they have kept their services open and people move on. There are people who have gone through the services and are now drug free. They give example to people in addiction and others in their community that there is an alternative lifestyle and it can be done.

On behalf of the committee, I thank the witnesses for attending. I appreciate their candid answers to our questions. Hopefully we can make progress with some of the issues they have raised this morning.