Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There was a wish to have more time and I have the same desire, but, unfortunately, my time is also limited. I will, however, try to be brief and cover some of the issues which have been raised.

I acknowledge all of the speakers who have raised concerns with great passion regarding the scourge of drugs in their communities, not only in towns and villages but also in communities throughout the country. I commend previous Ministers of State for the work they did during their time in this post. I know many of them, including former Deputy Pat Carey and Deputy Lahart.

I welcome the opportunity Deputy Curran has given me to speak about the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. I do not, however, agree with his assessment that as a Minister of State, I have been abandoned by my colleagues. Nothing could be further from the truth. In response to many of those who spoke about Garda issues, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, was here earlier, but, unfortunately, he could not stay. I acknowledge all of the issues raised andwill bring the details back to the Minister. I also disagree that the national drugs strategy has failed.

I acknowledge the work of the drugs policy unit, the people who work in it for their commitment to it and the work done throughout the years. I also acknowledge some of the Deputies who spoke. I am glad that Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan spoke about the review of the north inner city task force. Deputy Collins spoke about the reviews happening in task forces in communities like my own. The reviews are within the remit of the HSE and carried out in partnership with the task forces. I know that some problems have arisen in the reviews completed of some of the task forces. The HSE is working constructively to resolve the issues in some of the projects that have not reached their potential. I acknowledge the difficulties in some task forces and I am not objecting to reviews being carried out. There is accountability for the moneys being spent on task forces. It is the public's money. I also refer to governance and accountability and how task forces are managed, which is also important.

I am pleased to address the House on the very important matter of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery: A Health-led Response to Drug and Alcohol Use In Ireland 2017 to 2025, and to take the opportunity to reiterate my commitment and that of the Government to the strategy which was launched by me, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in July 2017. It has support at the highest levels and represents an important shift in public policy on drugs towards a health-led and person-centred approach. It centres on prevention, harm reduction and recovery. At its core are the values of compassion, respect, equity, inclusion and partnership, values also mentioned by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. The vision of the strategy is to create a healthier and safer Ireland and its 50 actions, up to 2020, will contribute towards improving the health, well-being and safety of the population in the coming years.

From the day I first took up the position as Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, I have been steadfast in my commitment to addressing the serious issue of substance misuse, to delivering a new strategy in partnership with communities and to implementing the important actions it sets out. Coming from a community development background and having had experience of working at local level with community groups, I do not for one moment underestimate the important role of communities and the need for partnership at every level. From my regular visits to projects throughout the country, it is crystal clear to me that working together is vital in bringing about real and positive change for those affected by drugs and addiction. In working together, however, it is crucial that we all respect one another and, where differences occur, that we resolve them in a constructive way. There is a saying, "give respect, get respect". That is a motto by which we should all live.

The national drugs strategy promotes the idea of partnership between statutory, community and voluntary sectors to deliver better health outcomes for those who use drugs. Just this morning, I had the privilege of opening the second annual national drugs forum. Under the strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, we are committed to organising a yearly national forum on evidence-based and effective practice in drug and alcohol education. It provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working in the sector to come together, network, share their knowledge and experience and, most of all, listen to each other. I was very encouraged by the attendance at last year's event and delighted to see another 200 delegates attending this morning from across all sectors who were listening to and learning from one another, me included. It is a real example of working in partnership.

One of the key goals of the strategy is to support the participation of individuals, families and communities. Action 39 of the strategy commits to promoting and supporting community participation in all local, regional and national structures. There are 11 community and voluntary representatives in the oversight structures of the strategy who give leadership and direction in the implementation of the strategy. The national oversight committee which I chair has representatives from all relevant Departments, State agencies, drug and alcohol task forces and voluntary organisations, as well as community representatives. I assure the House that progress under the strategy has been reviewed on an ongoing basis during 2019 through the national oversight committee and the standing sub-committee. This has enabled all of the relevant stakeholders to account for and report on individual and shared key actions outlined in the strategy. The Department of Health also reports periodically on progress under the national drugs strategy to the Cabinet committee on social policy and public services which is chaired by the Taoiseach.

Next year, if I am still around, I hope to launch a mid-term evaluation of the strategy. It will allow all stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on progress in implementing the strategy and identify the new actions that may be required in period up to 2025.

On funding, I am pleased to report that expenditure on HSE addiction services increased from €94 million in 2016 to over €100 million in 2018. The funding is used by the HSE to deliver on a wide range of national policy objectives as outlined in the national drugs strategy. It includes a focus on early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation. This, in turn, helps people with substance misuse issues to achieve better health outcomes. In addition to the €100 million allocated by the HSE for addiction services in 2018, my Department provided €28 million for drug and alcohol task forces through various funding channels, including the HSE. The funding supports over 280 community projects in local areas and communities throughout the country to support initiatives to tackle drug and alcohol use and misuse. One of our main priorities is the continued expansion of community-based healthcare services to minimise the harm caused by misuse of substances which are said to promote rehabilitation and recovery in line with the Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery document.

I was delighted to secure additional funding of €1 million in 2019 to strengthen implementation of the national drugs strategy. It included an additional €20,000 for each of the 24 task forces this year, €10,000 of which will be provided on a permanent recurring basis. It also helps to fund 13 strategic health initiatives identified by task forces to respond to emerging trends in substance misuse and improve access to services for people with complex needs. The new health initiatives reflect regional priorities agreed between the HSE community health organisations, CHOs, and the drug and alcohol task forces and ensure resources will be targeted at the groups most in need.

I have a list of the initiatives. If I have time, I might go through them.

The strategy initiatives have been targeted at the following groups, across the nine CHO areas: young people affected by substance misuse; women who use drugs and alcohol; families and services users; and homeless and others with complex needs. I am confident these new health initiatives, which are aligned with the objectives of Sláintecare, will have a positive impact and make a difference to people's lives as they journey to recovery. It is not correct to say that task forces are not being supported nor is it correct to say that funding is not given to them.

On awareness campaigns, a core objective of the national drugs strategy is to promote and protect the health and well-being of our population by delaying the use of alcohol and other drugs among young people.

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