Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am late to the meeting so I apologise if I ask questions that have already been. I attended a briefing last year organised by the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, at which we heard research statistics. It was a fantastic level of data which showed that while drug use happens across all sectors of society, its effect and devastating impact is felt more particularly in disadvantaged communities. I have the privilege of working with a drug and alcohol task force and seeing first hand the incredible work done by a very small group of people on the ground in delivering recovery, interventions and supports to families through family programmes and outreach workers. I am always in awe of what I hear at the monthly meetings and the sheer work and incredible dedication of people.

The more disadvantaged the community, the more its people are under pressure. They are suffering in the main from poverty. Children need extra interventions. They are the ones who are most deprived of assessments of needs. Access to supports for their children is a steeply uphill battle. In fact, they are climbing a cliff in that regard. When I read the opening statements and look at all of this information, I ask where is the interdepartmental group and where is the Department of children in resourcing youth workers? Where is that co-ordinated approach? When I see the recommendations, I see reference to the need for sharpening up and innovation with respect to policy and delivery. I will come shortly to the issue of the funding of the drug task forces and how that is done. This co-ordinated approach needs an all-of-government response. Where is the Department of Social Protection? Where is the Department of children? Where is this interdepartmental group that co-ordinates? Everybody needs to be fully resourced because we need to tackle these issues, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

Women who may be on maintenance programmes and doing very well can be targeted in their community. I heard a report recently from a specific crack cocaine outreach programme that suggested that within three weeks, women can go from having a lovely home to seeing everything gone and their children left devastated. The situation is that urgent. It is harrowing to listen to the report. The idea that we would talk about pilots or something in the future while people are suffering here and now is appalling, to be perfectly honest.

The funding of drugs task forces seems to me to be the unbelievable Cinderella of the Department of Health. They do not have a voice at the table as far as I can see. They went for an awfully long time without any increase to their funding. They are an inconvenience. I am not saying that about the task force with which I am involved because they do not feel that at all but I know from going to meetings and sitting with the chairs' network that they are totally voiceless. Given how urgent their work is, they should be properly resourced. The idea of giving them programme funding that lasts for a year or nine months for a specific piece of work when the funding should be for a multiannual piece of work shows a complete disconnect between the experience on the ground and in some ivory tower where funding decisions are made. There is a complete disconnect there.

I should stop speaking and leave it to the witnesses to say something. I want to know where we are in changing a cultural attitude. A person with a drug addiction is a mother and daughter, and was once a child brought home from a hospital, celebrated and dressed up beautifully. The idea that people reach a point in their lives where they are held in contempt by society and branded as drug addicts or whatever else is appalling and heartbreaking for communities. We need an urgent upsurge in getting on with it and not just talking about it. I will stop there.