Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Substance Misuse and its Impact on Communities: Discussion

Ms Anna Quigley:

We only have one women-specific drug service in the country in terms of the community base. We are lucky to have the seasamhact, ábaltacht, obair, léann, SAOL, project, based in the north inner city - people might know of it. It is an extraordinary project that does groundbreaking and innovating work with women. It is a community drug project and the same kind that Mr. Hamilton and Ms Quigley have been talking about. It has grown from the ground up in a local community and is absolutely rooted in that community and it does extraordinary work. We have the model that tackles the huge issue of engaging with women and addressing their specific needs. We have a model that is probably one of the best in the world. We have it there and it has grown from our drug strategy, so let us learn from that, please.