Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I wish to share time with Deputy O'Connor. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I welcome the points made by the speakers on all sides and in particular by the Minister of State. Our economy has made tremendous progress in the past 25 years with many positive benefits particularly with job creation, the increase in the standard of living etc. There was an old maxim that improving the quality of living for a society helped address the problems associated with social exclusion and therefore by including people in society it had a better capacity to allow them to live their lives in a more responsible way. Unfortunately that has not happened. While we have seen the benefits and the quality of life has improved, we have also seen the darker side associated with the preponderance of abuse of both alcohol and drugs, which we would not have expected 25 years ago. A significant effort has been made to deal with social exclusion through various programmes rolled out by successive Governments, and the required funding was allocated. While they have had an effect they have not had the effect to the extent they should have had.

However, the most worrying aspect is that the taking and abuse of drugs is no longer limited to the socially excluded groups. While I do not want to dwell on any specific case, I was somewhat concerned at how the incident in Waterford over the weekend was reported. The initial reports indicated that people were hospitalised, some in serious conditions, and that it was probably related to a toxic batch of drugs. The notion that some horse sedative was added to the drug was put forward as the reason for the young people having fallen ill necessitating them being hospitalised. However, in truth the addition of a horse sedative or any other compound is not needed to make drugs as we know them toxic or lethal. We need to be careful. The way it was reported almost gave the impression that the consumption or abuse of drugs was acceptable and the bit that caused the problem was the notion that some extra toxin had been added. It would be dangerous for us to accept that.

We have a real challenge to try to deal with the abuse of drugs among the professional class — people who should know better but have made a choice based on education, information and a good upbringing to consume drugs as a recreational choice in the same way that many other people would either smoke a cigarette or consume alcohol. That is very dangerous and needs to be addressed.

I am also concerned at the "High Society" television programme recently aired by RTE. While I acknowledge it has given rise to some debate in this House, regardless of whether it was factually correct about drug use by a politician or an airline pilot, if information exists that people in such responsible positions as airline pilots, surgeons or politicians are prepared to brag about their consumption of cocaine or even believe it is acceptable to use cocaine, we have reached a very serious and dangerous situation. I know the Minister of State has been in discussion with RTE. I hope the authorities show the kind of responsibility necessary. It is not right that people in responsible positions who brag about their use of cocaine should remain in their jobs, regardless of whether they are Ministers, Members of this House, surgeons or airline pilots.

Regardless of whether that information is true, people getting on aeroplanes today including some people who may not travel very much, are rightly concerned that the captain of the aircraft might not be in the full of his or her senses. If it was an allegation that a pilot consumed ten or 15 pints every night, there would have been uproar. I am not sure why it has been almost accepted by society. It indicates a greater acceptance of the abuse of drugs than I thought existed.

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