Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognises:— the scale of the problem of addiction throughout Ireland and the increasing demands on services; — that poly-drug use has increased significantly due to the increase in the accessibility and range of dangerous substances, both illegal and unregulated; — the increased risk to individuals using substances and lethal combinations of substances with respect to overdose, fatality and long-term ill health; — the numbers of drug and alcohol related deaths each year are more than twice that of the numbers of deaths on our roads; — the strong association between drug/alcohol abuse and suicide, and also accidental death; — the increased use of technology in accessing harmful substances; — the continuous on-street dealing in disadvantaged communities, the levels of intimidation and fear because of violence by drug gangs and the availability of firearms; — that alcohol has been identified as a contributory factor in 90% of public order offences as recorded under the Police Using Leading Systems Effectively (PULSE) system and alcohol related crime costs the State almost €1.2 billion a year; — that alcohol and drug related illness costs the health system a further €1.2 billion yearly; — the link between economic and social disadvantage, including early school leaving, unemployment, housing conditions and problem drug/alcohol addiction and crime; — the number of children with need for child protection because of families’ problems with drug and alcohol addiction; — the links between mental health, homelessness and addiction; and — the unacceptable levels of drug abuse in our prisons;acknowledges:— the work of the statutory, voluntary and community sectors, the partnership model, the pillars of treatment and rehabilitation, supply control, prevention and research and family support; — the role of the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund in targeting those most at risk of drug abuse in funding services and facilities in many areas, particularly to those most vulnerable; — the work of the Community Policing Forums in promoting collaborative work between the communities, local authorities and Gardaí to resolve local drug related and antisocial behaviour issues; — the work of the various groups, government departments and agencies, the community and voluntary sectors and others in producing the National Substance Misuse Strategy Report; — the work of the community and voluntary sectors in engaging those in addiction and in recovery from addiction in services; and — the improvement in best practice and the range of treatment, rehabilitation and recovery for those in addiction; and supports the Government in its determination to tackle the issue of substance misuse and addiction through: — continuing to support local, regional and national structures of the National Drugs Strategy involving community, voluntary and statutory services in the coordinated delivery of responses at individual, family and community level to the benefit of those most affected by problems of addiction; — taking measures to strengthen the effectiveness of Drugs Task Forces; — taking progressive measures, such as expanding the provision of needle exchange services around the country; — continuing to implement the Irish Prison Service’s Drugs Policy and Strategy, ‘Keeping Drugs out of Prison’, to develop drug treatment services and enhance supply reduction measures across the State’s prisons; — supporting the continued efforts of An Garda Síochána in tackling organised crime and those involved in drug dealing at local level in our communities; and — its intention to bring forward a co-ordinated National Substance Misuse Strategy.”-(Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White).

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