Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 September 2025

Committee on Drugs Use

Family Supports: Discussion

2:00 am

Ms Anita Harris:

They are all external to Coolmine, so these are Tusla, social care workers, family support workers, family hubs. Again, it is not consistent, and depends on the task force in the area and if they place importance on it and decide to train a number of their people. There are some areas in Ireland that have lots of people trained in the PUP approach but other parts that have zero. It is not a consistent support or a consistent approach but it absolutely is a framework where people are hesitant when working with a hidden harm. Where services are very hesitant in asking should they work with the child, or the parent, or how to do it, this is a framework that will show them how to work with both.