Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The establishment of a Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use is long overdue. Hopefully, this April we will have in position the necessary 100 people to look at this and to consider all aspects of drug use, including recovery facilities, legal and policing issues and the roles of task forces and policing committees. I am a long-time member of the Finglas-Cabra drugs task force. Drugs task forces have done marvellous work with very poor resources. I hope the citizens' assembly will be in a position to look at the financing of these because many of them have been let down over the years.

Drug intimidation is also a major issue in mainly working-class areas. People are crying out for help and guidance and help are needed. Maybe we will come up with some answers through the citizens' assembly. Recovery must be a key focus of the assembly. The work of groups like Recovery Academy, SMART Recovery and Soilse will be reflected in it. Sinn Féin is the only party on the island with a specific policy focused on recovery and the rights of people. We need to make sure the assembly explores how to support people who are in recovery. We need to listen to people who work on the ground to learn from their experiences and invest in health and social care to reduce long waits to access residential rehab. We also need to hear from those who have experienced drug and alcohol use and those who have gone through recovery.

Since 2017, we have had legislative provision for supervised injecting facilities to help reduce harm and death from addiction and heroin use. The establishment of the first facility in Merchants Quay Ireland is long overdue and has been delayed for many years. It has only recently received permission to go ahead. The conversation in this space has now moved to supervised consumption rooms for a wider range of substances, which should be explored by the citizens' assembly.

The issue of dual diagnosis is one area that needs urgent attention. I commend the Finglas Addiction Support Team, FAST, and the Ballymun drugs task force on the work they have done in this area. I hope they will get a day out with the assembly. Open drug dealing is now common and in some areas it is fairly visible on the street. It is quite visible in the city centre of Dublin as well but one of the worst areas is around schools. The effect this has on minors and other people needs to be explored and we need to examine whether zones should be set up to deal with this and keep drugs out of school areas and not in proximity to schools.

There is also the issue of the proceeds of crime. I would hope the assembly would have a word in regard to this. This money should be directed into areas where the major seizures were and the most affected areas. I would like to think the assembly would have something on that.

The attitude of people to those who have addiction problems is appalling. That is something we need to address. We need to educate people. Cocaine has become a major substance in our society. You see it in pubs and everywhere, even in Dáil Éireann. It has become acceptable. Education is needed. We need to teach people that this is unacceptable. We need experts from all areas, not just from different local groups but from outside the country, to have an input. That is very important.

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