Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for the various questions he raised. Funding for the drug task forces under the national drugs strategy has increased by €1 million. I appreciate there is an accounting issue with what appears to be a €10 million reduction, which it to do with different subheads, but the total funding has increased. I share the Deputy’s concern. Deputy McAuliffe and myself met community workers about the crack cocaine problem some time ago. The Chairman referenced the heroin epidemic. They point they made to us was that they had been the community workers during the heroin epidemic and that the crack cocaine epidemic blew it out of the water. They had never seen anything like the desperation, the level of addiction, the violence, the organised crime, the intimidation and moneylending associated with it. I am aware of it in my constituency in Wicklow. When I meet various community groups they report a level of violence and intimidation they have never seen before. Some of the accounts of intimidation and violence being visited upon the families of people in addiction are like nothing we have ever seen previously and, therefore, we need to need to do more. Additional funding has been allocated. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, would be very happy, as would I, to engage further with the committee on that. Part of it a health response and part of it is a justice response but an awful lot needs to be done.

Organ donation and transplant services are part of one of the fully funded strategies for this year. Critically, I will introduce the human tissue Bill soon. There is more that we can do. People are waiting for organ transplants for longer than they should. The Bill will help, as will the opt-out process. I think it is one that is broadly supported politically. It is on the agenda to introduce this year. I know it is something the committee will also seek to process.