Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Following publication of the mid-term review of the national drug strategy, a decision was made by the Department of Health to remove the community and voluntary sector from the strategy's national oversight committee. The sector is to be replaced by a civic society forum made up of Department of Health appointees. This new structure has yet to be formalised or established. There is a growing opinion across the oversight committee that officials are now intent on pushing out those who voice opinions contrary to the Department’s or, worse still, who attempt to hold it to account. I hope the Taoiseach is as alarmed as I am at this development, although I have to say I am not entirely surprised by the Department's actions.

Speaking at two recent events in the north inner-city, the Taoiseach acknowledged the irreplaceable work of the community in tackling addiction over the last three decades. His support for the community was widely welcomed but there is now a concern across the north inner-city that his view is at odds with the actions of departmental officials with responsibility for the national drug strategy. Following a cross-party initiative last week opposing the Department's decision to remove the community and voluntary networks from the national drug strategy oversight committee, the Minister of State, Deputy Frankie Feighan, asked Department officials to engage further on the matter. While I welcome this intervention, I am sorry to say that my experience tells me not to hold out too much hope as the Department has, in effect, dismantled the north inner-city drug and alcohol task force and closed down the community sector’s involvement in its work.

So bad is the situation that the Inner City Organisations Network and the North West Inner City Network, which are long-established bodies, have been left with no option but to issue a joint statement calling on the Taoiseach to urgently intervene. I wish to echo their call. There is now a clear and dangerous bias within the Department of Health against the community's role in the national drug strategy, locally and nationally, and that cannot stand.

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