Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I note the response is very general. While we will need to see the specifics, the most important thing is that the community and voluntary sectors will be able to sign off on it tomorrow. The community drug projects play a vital role with some really innovative programmes. They respond to needs as they are presented and were not getting the role they should have been given in the strategy. The evidence is that they are successful in supporting those continuing in addiction and those who are in recovery. Many of those projects are delivering in very difficult circumstances and are being swamped by paperwork. They are on the edge all the time when it comes to funding. I would be interested to learn what are the specific actions in respect of drug-related intimidation because the new strategy needs substantial actions to address this problem.

I have mentioned the Recovery Academy of Ireland to the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, previously. It is innovative and encouraging and is keeping people in recovery. Its latest move is pop-up recovery cafés, which are a great idea. I met One Step Clinic recently. It is looking for a pilot programme into the naltrexone implant, which is non-addictive, cost effective and very useful in coping with addiction.

I think more than 3,000 submissions were made on the new strategy. I submitted one myself on prevention and education. I do not think anybody even got an acknowledgement that his or her submission had been received. I hope the submissions will be included in an annexe of the new strategy. The fact that so many people made submissions shows the level of concern, and they should have been acknowledged.

I am aware that the Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton, is working on the gambling aspect. I stress that we need to look at addiction in a holistic way and in its entirety. Alcohol had been left out of the drugs strategy for so long and the same is true of gambling.

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