Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 24 October 2024

Committee on Drugs Use

Family and Community: Discussion

9:30 am

Mr. Paul Perth:

It is a tool of engagement. We had 12 guys from west Tallaght going to a Jigsaw event in Bray, which was a run and a swim. All of these young people would be deemed "at risk". That is a term I do not like. On the way over, one of the guys stopped at a shop in Bray. He got nicked and was brought straight to the station. Of course, we rang the station. He went to court the next day. He was taken out of court for contempt of court because he was trying to explain to the judge that he was trying to get his head together and was in Bray for a run with Jigsaw and the Connect 4 Project when he was taken off the street. He had no understanding. He was trying to get his head together. That is a direct impact of how we grew up in society, the world he grew up in and having picked up charges. He was trying to do something positive. He could not understand. He ended up having an argument with the judge. The judge was obviously right; he had to face the consequences. However, he was taken off a mental health run and swim in the sea. That is what is happening and it is only one example. I could sit here all day and give millions more.

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