Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I attended the launch of Dr. Johnny Connolly's report this morning in Dublin South Central and I recommend it. It makes for very interesting reading and reflects many communities around Ireland where this is a problem. The Bill is welcome and if it gets past Second Stage, we will probably table amendments to it. The fact that children as young as 12 are becoming involved in drug distribution networks is very frightening. It is particularly frightening for the communities affected by it.

The one thing I would like to focus on concerns the socio-economic issues in this report. Dr. Connolly illustrates very well that areas with higher deprivation ratings - E and F - such as Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot and parts of Crumlin and the south inner city have the highest number of children involved in the distribution networks. As has been said, they are often controlled by some nasty people who wield a lot of power to intimidate not just these children and their families but the entire community.

Dr. Connolly also discussed in his report the under-reporting to the Garda from within these communities. He interviewed people and much of the reason for that under-reporting is down to a disbelief that anything will change or happen. I honestly believe that stems from the idea that people in these communities feel trapped into a certain level of expectation, that they can only go so far and nothing will change. These people feel contained in those communities and that nothing will change for them.

The report of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, published yesterday morning, showed that 140,000 children are living in cold because of fuel poverty. That reiterates the message to people in these communities. Those 140,000 children are not confined to rural areas or old houses as they are scattered throughout this country, and that illustrates a tale of two countries because some of the poorest parts of our city in the Dublin South-Central constituency are beside some of the most affluent parts of the city. It was in the poorest of local areas that drugs projects, family resource projects and youth projects were cut during the austerity years, in particular. The young people affected are the children of austerity. I remember well when the then Minister for Finance said he had to pick the low-hanging fruit first, by which he meant the facilities, supports and employees in those areas. The projects that were lost were able to intervene and offer a community network. They acted as the veins that tied those communities together. Austerity meant that elements like that were not able to mushroom, grow and influence children who fell outside the acceptable norms in society.

The clear messages that need to be heard are those that Dr. Connolly mentioned in his report. The response to this problem must be driven, in the first instance, by the human rights of the communities affected, the families and people who live in those communities and their rights to live peaceful, decent and safe lives. He also referred to the human rights of the children who are being abused by their handlers by making them peddle drugs, the need for balance in the care and response to those communities and the adoption of a restorative approach.

If we are to accept those recommendations, things that are currently happening to drugs projects and youth services in those areas must stop. For example, the withdrawal of funding and the HSE from the drugs community project in the canal community, which is an area that is among the worst affected, is not acceptable. The HSE needs to engage with community leaders, activists and workers; otherwise, we are not going to find a restorative and holistic approach to how communities affected by this scourge can grow, develop, and be safe.

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