Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been a member of the Finglas and Cabra Drugs and Alcohol Task Force for almost 20 years. Drugs and alcohol task forces had their funding cut every year between 2008 and 2014. Funding has effectively been frozen since 2014, despite the escalation of the drugs crisis. This has had a devastating effect on the delivery of proper services for communities and on the drugs and alcohol task forces, which have lost experienced personnel. In addition, drugs projects now have to tackle the alcohol crisis as this has been added to their remit without any extra funding or resources being allocated. Funding needs to be reinstated to 2008 levels with an increase in funding to reflect the addition of alcohol issues to their remit. Staff should have their pay restored and those who are entitled to increments should also have these restored. More emphasis on health-related solutions and programmes is needed and our children need to be educated about drugs from an early age.

There are new challenges every day. For example, taking cocaine is, shockingly, being seen more and more as a recreational activity. There were 736 drug and alcohol-related deaths in 2016, which is a far greater number than those who died on our roads. Parents, children and whole communities are being terrorised and intimidated by those involved in the drug trade. Another worrying trend is the grooming of children for use as drug couriers. Task forces need to be given responsibility for drafting and implementing local strategies to combat the drugs crisis. Task forces must be supported by the State and Government agencies including the HSE, An Garda Síochána and local authorities. Drugs and alcohol task forces need their funding restored because they are best placed to work with communities and with those with addictions and to fight against the ever-increasing drug problems in our communities.

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