Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of the most obvious areas in need of public service modernisation and reform is the addiction sector. We have seen significant recent shifts in addiction treatment presentations and in deaths. Alongside this, we have seen staff in section 29 services fighting for fair pay and conditions. The reality is that many of these staff raised concerns about the changing drug trends two years ago but, rather than being taken on board, their concerns were mostly ignored.

Without modernisation and reform, the addiction sector will remain on the back foot, with some of the highest level of staff burnout of any health or social care professionals. We have the expertise. We have an extremely competent workforce but we need to pay the workers and we need to treat them fairly. Sinn Féin members believe that alongside engagement with the section 39 workers, we need to look at professional supervision to try to ease the staff burnout. We need to ensure that staff members feel valued and that their expertise is recognised. I am sure the Taoiseach has visited addiction services like myself. He has seen the phenomenal work that is done by the staff day in, day out. With empathy and compassion, they help to reduce the harm and to bring people on recovery journeys. Without proper reform, we are leaving the staff, those people who do the work on the ground with individuals, families, and communities, without the support they need. While we have a citizens' assembly, and it does great work on policy matters, there is a role for the Taoiseach's Department to explore how we listen to and bring forward recommendations from the citizens' assembly. I hope the Taoiseach takes this on board.

See this speech in context