Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need to go beyond fine words and empower these communities. Yes, we need new tough legislation to deal with the illegal trade in prescription drugs, but the report of the first ministerial task force on drugs, published 20 years ago, highlighted the link between drugs, crime, poverty and social and economic deprivation. It called for increased investment not only in front-line policing but also in education, treatment and prevention. Twenty years later, the Clondalkin drugs task force a few weeks ago published a report entitled Outcomes: Drug Harms, Policy Harms, Poverty & Equality. It is the same old story. This report is a damning indictment of 20 years of failure by successive governments and it accepts, despite the huge amount of work done by local community workers, addiction counsellors and other key workers, gardaí, teachers, sports coaches and residents, that things are getting worse. We need increased funding for gardaí but also for drugs task forces whose funding like that of the one in Clondalkin has been cut by 45%.

This is not only a Dublin issue. In my constituency of Louth and east Meath there is a serious underfunding of addiction services. None of this happened by accident. It is a direct result of Government policy. Will the Taoiseach commit to bringing forward a plan which will mean there will be a Government-led task force involving local communities to carry out a comprehensive multi-agency strategic plan to reclaim these communities, empower their citizens and regenerate these brilliant communities made up of decent, sound people?

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