Ms Anna Quigley:

As I said, the approach we will take for the next seven years to the drugs issue will be decided at that committee. Community networks and the task force should also be represented, which happened on previous occasions. If we are not there, then the issues we are talking about, the challenges and approaches needed and the knowledge on the ground will be missing.

We held an event a few weeks ago to mark our thirtieth anniversary. The Taoiseach did the opening address. It is hard to understand how he could be so positive about the role of Citywide going back over the years and clear about how crucial it is that we, along with the other networks, are involved into the future - we have a transcript and recording of the speech the Taoiseach made - and the Department of Health is aware of that because we sent it the transcript. We wrote to the Department and asked for an explanation. We pointed out that regardless of whatever reasoning it might have, it was extremely discourteous. Having been on these committees for the past however many years, similar to the task forces, we found out that the committee had been set up and we were not on it. A press release issued on a bank holiday weekend. We were not informed. There was no communication with us. The discourtesy and disrespect is one thing. We asked who in the Department made the decision, when it was made and the rationale behind it. It is very difficult for us to come back to the Department if it does not tell us the reasons used to decide to exclude us. We received a letter about a page and a half long which included a huge amount of information we already knew because it is in the public domain as it was in a press release. It did not answer the question. We wrote back and asked the Department to answer the question. We are awaiting that answer. It would be useful if the committee members could raise this issue. I cannot think of any good reasons why the Department might be able to present for its decision not to include us; we would say that. We are awaiting the response. Any representations or strong messages from the committee would speed up the response. As I said, I do not know anybody else who thinks community networks should not be included. I do not know anybody who would try to justify that position. The great thing about these committees is that they are cross-party. A cross-party message stating that it is the view of committee members that community networks should be on the committee and steering group would be crucial. I would say the same for the task forces.