Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I would like to pick up on one point. If anybody thinks that Ireland is not already a tourist destination when it comes to drugs, they have not been in Temple Bar over the last couple of years. This is part of the issue that we have. Alcohol is the most abused drug that we have in Ireland but the stigma is not the same. That is something that we have to break down as well, but that is for another day.

I refer to what Mr. Reid mentioned regarding multi-annual funding. For front-line drug services, that could be an absolute game changer. What is happening at the moment is that our drug services which are on the ground are getting into a situation where they are being reactive, rather than proactive. They see things happening and they see changes in drug use emerging before we do. They are on the ground and are on the front line but they cannot change their approach, change to another drug or whatever or to a recovery model, they would have to drop something else that is already there and that may be working well. They do not have the ability to change because of the the handcuffs on them in relation to multi-annual funding. I remember working in a service where the manager was so focused on funding that we had to close the service for a week just to get forms filled out, which meant we were not seeing any of the service users. They were left on their own. We need to move away from that.

On multi-annual funding, and Mr. Reid may need to put his previous HSE hat on, are the barriers within the HSE or are the barriers within Government or it funds the HSE? I am always asking about multi-annual funding and I would like to know if that barrier relates to the Government or the HSE.