Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A total of €5,416 was allocated to St. Dominic's community response. The sum of €37,775 was received by Brookfield addiction support programme. Swan family support received €43,951. Barnardos Rivendell project was allocated €233,596. Those are examples of actions that are happening on the ground. I accept the point the Deputies made but we also have a broader societal issue as well in relation to drugs. Another aspect is that one must deal with the health addiction aspect, which I fully support, but there is also the criminal aspect where people are being slaughtered on the streets. That is a security aspect. There are two dimensions involved. We need to develop the national drugs strategy and to ensure the health promotion sector provides services for people on the ground. The Government intends to do that. I will bring the major concerns of the Deputies back to the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, because I accept there is a problem in relation to tackling the issue overall.

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