Mr. Thomas McCarthy:

I echo what Ms Hyland said. In areas such as ours, the illegal drug market needs to be considered as a precursor to young people becoming involved in drugs and drug addiction. From the day a person is able to walk around here, he or she will be passing by people who are dealing drugs. It is a very difficult environment to be in and to stay away from getting involved in the drug market. That is particularly true when people see older people with a flashy lifestyle and a bit of money, with something about them. The young person may not have anything and may come from poverty, deprivation and addiction in the home. If there is addiction in the home, it tends to translate into the young people. That is not always the case but there is definitely a connection.

It takes a long time for young people to see how bad it is going to get when they start using drugs as a young teen. They do not see it and they cannot hear the warnings. There are just not enough workers on the ground to support them through those choices. We work consistently with young people who use drugs but it is a significant challenge when the illegal drug market is all around them. Unless there is a better approach to how we deal with the illegal drug market in Ireland, little will change. We have been fighting a war on drugs for years and nothing has changed, so it will continue the way it is. Investing in our drugs services and in early intervention is vital.