Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On page 50 of the programme for Government the national drugs strategy is mentioned and it is stated that community involvement in the strategy is supported and should be enhanced. The drugs task forces from across the city that I have spoken to in the past while have cautioned that the community-led approach is being undermined. The community representatives have been removed from the decision-making process. The drugs task force networks did not even get a response to their invite to the Minister of State to attend a meeting with them. That tells you all you need to know about the Government's approach to the community element of task forces. I remind the Taoiseach that in October 2019, all the former Ministers of State with responsibility for drugs policy called on the Government to restore confidence in the national drugs strategy. They said, "At national, regional and local level, decision-making authority is being taken away from the strategy's partnership structures and is reverting to the Dept of Health and the HSE, who now make the key decisions centrally and without consultation with communities." I understand that the national oversight committee with responsibility for the national drugs strategy will meet on Friday and will probably agree to further gut community involvement in local and regional task forces. Will the Taoiseach commit to refocusing the national drugs strategy to ensure the community groups remain central to the strategy?

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