Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the representatives for a great piece of work. It is a very complicated piece of work on the part of everyone who was involved in the citizens' assembly. Sometimes, citizens' assemblies can be used to tackle very complex questions and maybe give the Government cover when it needs to deal with those questions. There are 36 recommendations. The committee now has a job of work to do to bring out a report in the next seven months.

I will make a few points. I believe the Government and those which preceded it have had no interest in tackling the development of a drugs strategy that would work. That was referenced with regard to the health-led approach that was never acted upon. When we look at what happened with austerity after the financial crash in 2007 and 2008, and the absolute destruction caused by the slashing cuts to task forces, community services and education, most of that funding has not returned. Now, 17 years after the financial crash, many of these services are operating with a similar level of money, no multi-annual funding, and are not able to plan how they will deliver services. If we are to get a drugs strategy right, the first thing that must happen is resources, staffing and money must be put into community services, the HSE, detox beds and residential beds.

We have a situation where the Keltoi centre, which was seen as a brilliant facility that engaged with people going into recovery, including their mental health, was closed. What should have been rolled out nationally has been closed for years at this stage. The frustrating thing for me as Sinn Féin spokesperson on addiction, recovery and well-being is that the Government is not serious about developing a drugs strategy that would work. If it were, the first place it would start would be to fund these services in communities.

The fact that some communities are disadvantaged was referenced. Sometimes, I hate using that word because it is a stigma. Saying it is disadvantaged puts a whole community into a box. I come from Knocknaheeny in Cork city, which is one of the areas under regeneration. I never considered myself disadvantaged. Do not get me wrong; we have many challenges. We have seen many of the consequences of the harmful, devastating effects of drugs. While we know people all over Cork and throughout the country who came from affluent families who see that same devastation, it is certainly right to say that areas that have suffered deprivation, disadvantage, and a lack of services and funding, are way more affected by drugs and their consequences.

In the community I represent, I am involved with St. Vincent’s Hurling and Football Club. I have been involved in coaching teams all my life, and I am a former schools coach. As soon as a child joins our club or any club, you look at the family and their personal circumstances, In some instances, you know the child will be gone by the age of 12, 13 or 14. That applies to the vast majority of children. I could never figure out why the Government did not act on this. We have very good schools, a good HSE and a good Department of Education. I do not know why there was no link to identifying children at risk. When we are dealing with Tusla, we are only dealing with the children who are at extreme risk, whereas we can identify other children who are at risk and get them onto the pathways of sport and education.

I have looked at some of the assembly’s recommendations. Recommendation 25 focuses on community responses to drugs, recommendation 27 focuses on prevention and recommendation 29 focuses on communications with a view to reducing stigma. These are all things that should be in place now. There is so much I want to say about this. There is so much in the report that is good. In some ways, I do not see why the assembly had to do its work; this Government and those that preceded it should have done it. Surely the expertise was there in the HSE and the Departments of Education and Justice to look at all of these things.

I may have been rambling but I really care about this subject. I greatly appreciate the work the assembly has done. I ask the witnesses to comment.