Máire Devine (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I met some of the witnesses when Deputy Graves had the recovery month event last week or the week before. It was related to the very positive idea that recovery is possible. We often get bogged down in such negativity and I think that sometimes adds to the stigma. The witnesses are grappling for services all the time and they all seem to carry a heavy load. I also thank them for their presentations.

I want to concentrate on women in addiction. Being the Sinn Féin spokesperson for domestic and gender-based violence, I am very aware that vulnerable women in addiction are more likely to be subjected to violence and coercive control. Is there a project or a specific programme to approach this? Women are often kept in addiction or their children suffer because their male partner has the propensity to own them in some way.

That is like a lot of other women who experience it but this is a lot more concentrated in that they are in addiction, really dependent on that and are kept in that. How is that barrier broken? It is difficult enough to break the barrier and have women speak out about what is happening at home behind closed doors but especially in that situation. It is not just behind closed doors. There is also street violence for women who seem to be addicts as well. They are targets. Could the witnesses make a comment on that and the children who are caught up in that as well.

I want to talk about Hidden Harm, which came out in 2019. It was kind of a breakthrough at the time and we kind of figured it out. I have been a psychiatric nurse for most of my life so when that came out I was like wow, we have seen this and it is great to have it down on paper to begin to address what is happening with children who are alienated and feel left out, who have never felt held or secure in the world they were born into. Yesterday, we had some DEIS schools at the disability committee. They were talking about the difficulties of SNAs and the difficulties of home outreach where they actually go out to the home and get the child dressed. The child is so happy to see the home liaison officer because of the chaotic household they come from. It gives them four to five hours of normality and somebody minding them, taking care of them and somebody dressing them.

In certain circumstances, having children is a protective factor against relapse but mostly, it is not. It does not hold true for a significant length of time and so, despite the good intention, that child is left in what becomes intergenerational problematic stuff. Is there anything else we can do? Obviously, there are a load of spaces needed for mothers and babies but is there anything else that could be done in liaison with the education system because that is where they are actually getting stability in their lives as well? I thank the witnesses for the work they do. It is so needed.