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

The case for a citizens' assembly on drugs has been made for a long time and there is an urgency around it. I support it. I wish it could be brought forward more quickly than the Taoiseach has indicated but I appeal to him to stick to the commitment and to the date as set out.

Would the Taoiseach believe me if I told him that for the past year and a half there has been no functioning drug and alcohol task force in Dublin's north inner city? Can he imagine that? It was ground zero of the heroin epidemic in the 1980s. It is still an area where neighbourhoods are ravaged by intergenerational drug misuse, abuse and addiction, and all the associated social phenomenons. I have raised this issue for a year and a half. I raised it with Deputy Feighan when he was Minister of State, with the Taoiseach and with the Minister for Health. There has been a deliberate running down and disbandment of the drug and alcohol task force in the north inner city of Dublin. A report was drawn up by the outgoing Minister of State. It was submitted somewhere. I appeal for the report to be published, for the duly selected chair to be appointed and for the body to be allowed to go on with its work. I will not elaborate on the behaviour of the Department and others in this fiasco. I simply appeal that it be brought to an end.

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