Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will read the Minister's script and I hope I will get 30 seconds to respond myself. I have listened carefully to the views of the Deputies. I reiterate the commitment of this Government to ensuring appropriate supports and resources are in place to tackle drug addiction, including crack cocaine. A strategic priority under the national drugs strategy for the next four years will be to address the social consequences of drug use in disadvantaged communities. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, looks forward to working with all relevant stakeholders, including drug and alcohol task forces, to address the underlying causes of drug use in poorer communities. He will shortly be announcing funding of €1 million to increase access to the provision of community-based drugs and alcohol services.

I hear very clearly that this community is looking for €1 million in its entirety, so straight away there is a funding shortfall there that needs to be addressed. This funding will support the work of drug and alcohol task forces and a portion of the funding will be allocated to community healthcare organisation, CHO 7, which includes Tallaght and south-west Dublin. In budget 2022, the Minister of State secured an additional €6 million for new measures to support the implementation of the national drugs strategy and strengthen the health-led approach to drug and alcohol use, as set out in the programme for Government. This includes €500,000 to address high-risk drug use such as crack cocaine and other drugs to expand harm reduction.

I take on board everything the Deputies have said in this debate, from the fabric of the community being hollowed out to the intergenerational aspect. It is not just the Department of Health that has to step up to the plate here. Let us be very clear. There is a role for the Department of Justice, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Rural and Community Development. There is a role for every Department because unless we get a hold of what has been unleashed in the Deputies' communities, when the next wave comes there will be no fabric left for us to repair. I will take this on board. One of the pieces of the programme for Government I negotiated related to the drugs task forces. I was very passionate about that and the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, is also very committed to it. Not only will I articulate these issues, I will also ensure the Minister for Health finds room within his purse to address them.

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