Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My officials have regular engagement with the Department of Health regarding the national drugs strategy. My Department is represented on the strategic implementation group 4, SIG 4, reducing harm and supporting recovery. This group comprises sectoral, agency and departmental officials.

The strategy is relevant to my Department's work in the community and voluntary sectors as it is vital in ensuring the collective input of the statutory, community and voluntary sectors to provide a co-ordinated response to drug and alcohol use in Irish society. The strategy also involves mobilising communities and building their resilience to respond to the drug problem, particularly in marginalised communities. This links well with the Department's social inclusion and community activation programme, which supports those hardest to reach and most at risk of marginalisation.

The Department has two main goals in the strategy. These relate to providing community supports in collaboration with schools and other youth programmes and improving the life chances of those who are marginalised in society. The Department will continue to assist with the important work of the national drugs strategy in the future.

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