John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am grateful that the Minister of State is present. I am not from Tallaght but I have been lucky enough to grow to love it and its people as one of the Teachtaí Dála who represents it. The people there have given me the honour and privilege of representing them in parliament on two occasions now.

Tallaght is a rich tapestry that is made up of city and region. Much of Tallaght's population is comfortable, well-educated, thriving and dynamic. The area has a fabulously rich history and culture and amazing people. It is my county town and is a dynamic driver of the local economy. It is a great place to grow up in and to live. However, part of its tapestry continues to face enormous social and economic challenges that alienate the people who live there and separate them from their rightful place in our society. If those in politics have decided, legitimately, that places such as Moyross and Dublin's north inner city are entitled to an abundance of resources, security and support, I hope the Minister of State will agree that Tallaght's time has come. In an era when we bandy about figures in the billions, the Tallaght drugs and alcohol task force, TDATF, is looking for €1 million. However, I am looking for much more because Tallaght's time has come. It is time that all the assets and talents the State put at the disposal of, and invested in, other places be focused on this beautiful but fractured place. Nothing less will do and nothing less is acceptable to the people the four Teachtaí Dála present tonight, who are all members of the TDATF, represent.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am going to assume that the Minister of State heard about and read some of the extensive coverage over the past couple of days regarding the tsunami of crack cocaine use in Tallaght. I hope she also read the report by the TDATF or that the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, has. The bottom line is that this is an appeal for help from those on the front line. The report in question states: "it is by far the biggest single problem facing the services and communities of TDATF, it is of epidemic proportions and if it is not addressed immediately, it will dwarf the heroin epidemic of the 80's". That is a very stark warning for the Government. The latter is the case because the impact in terms of the devastation of people's lives and of communities is equally stark. It is a situation where women are pressured to engage in sex work and people are unable to go to the local shop for fear of being offered or given drugs or pressured about drug debts. It is absolutely destroying communities. There are incredible people doing incredible work in the various projects but they are supporting people with their hands tied behind their backs. On the one hand, this is due to the societal issues of massive inequality and deprivation, but it is also because, to put it bluntly, they are insufficiently funded. The task force is still suffering from the cutbacks made between 2009 and 2013, where mainstream and interim funding were cut by over 20%. It is incredible that with an increased population with increased drug use and addiction problems, the TDATF has €100,000 less than it did in 2010. It needs at least an extra €1 million and it needs to hear from the Government that it will get it.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We saw how crack cocaine hollowed out inner cities in America. Unfortunately, we are starting to see it happening in Ireland. Crack cocaine has the potential to destroy individuals and their families but it also puts enormous pressure on communities. The Tallaght drugs and alcohol task force, which also covers Whitechurch, serves a catchment area containing twice as many people and it does so with less money than it had ten years ago. That is not acceptable. The levels of intimidation relating to drugs are up. There is open drug-dealing in many estates and suicides have become more common. The age group of those involved is really frightening, with some as young as ten involved in selling and using drugs. One third of those involved are, as we heard, women and many are being forced into sex work in order to pay drug debts, but also, in many cases, just to buy a rock of crack cocaine.

Even before the cocaine appeared, many of our community-based rehabilitation services were under extreme financial pressure and losing staff. Staff have not had a pay rise in ten years because they are section 39 workers. Crack cocaine requires more complex interventions and resources, and addicts need more time. This means that many project workers are left exhausted and drained. It is a game-changer, so we need changes. With this new crisis, we are asking people to do more with less money and fewer resources while expecting better outcomes. This is a crazy approach. The lack of joined-up thinking must stop. It reflects in the past a complete lack of compassion, empathy or understanding of what is actually happening in many of our communities. The people I represent are really proud people. The do not want handouts; they want a hand up. That is what they are asking for in the context of the groundbreaking research that has been done. There are practical solutions and thus a way forward. That is the message we want to hear coming back from the Minister of State.

Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I begin by wishing the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, a quick recovery and thanking the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for coming in this evening. The crack cocaine epidemic in Tallaght is intensifying, with more open drug-dealing in public places, increased violence, drug-related intimidation and sophisticated marketing techniques being used by drug dealers to ensnare users. Consequently, the demand for services is increasing. While the local task forces are working on the front line to provided critically-needed services and projects, they are chronically underfunded and under-resourced. This has impacted on the longevity of projects, the number of staff they can retain full-time and, ultimately, the level of services they can provide.

If the Government is serious about tackling this issue that is destroying families in Tallaght and Whitechurch, and I have no doubt it is, we need to ensure €1 million in funding is allocated as soon as possible as indicated by the report published yesterday by the TDATF. It should be noted the funding cut during the recession has not been restored. The population has, as the other Deputies have said, increased and the State coffers have grown by 50% since 2008. Furthermore, there has been a 75% increase in drug-related crime in Tallaght since 2018 but the area has the joint lowest number of Garda members per head of population in the Dublin region. Budget 2022 commits to recruiting 800 new gardaí. In delivering on this commitment, we need to ensure that gardaí are deployed in the areas in most need, such as Tallaght. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, the Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, could give a commitment to allocate that €1 million to the local task forces in Tallaght as soon as possible and to increase the number of gardaí in the area.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I feel like a bit of an interloper here because I am the only Teachta Dála for Dublin Mid-West present with my colleagues from Dublin South-West. However, I knew many of the people on the news report yesterday on a professional basis as a result of the work I used to do. I thank and commend the TDATF for its really stark report on the realities of living with crack cocaine. I am a former director of the Clondalkin drugs and alcohol task force and have worked in front-line addiction centres across Dublin over the years.

As was said, these services are working with one hand behind their back because funding has been reduced over the years. As its report states, the Tallaght task force received €1.3 million in 2010, while the figure in 2021 was €1.2 million. Funding has gone down while the population has gone up and the problems have got worse. This has led to a situation where the task force and the drugs service, through no fault of their own, are starting to be reactive instead of proactive. I commend the Tallaght task force because it has done a proactive piece of work.

I was a task force director making tough decisions and what happened in the past, when we wanted to start a new initiative, whether it related to crack cocaine, weed or whatever it might be, if no other money was there something old we were working on had to go out. That was sometimes a very valuable piece of work, which led to the building blocks and foundations of task forces being eroded. One of the biggest issues concerns multi-annual funding. If one is not getting it, it does not allow planning for the future and for what is coming down the line. We need to start getting there. I will not make this parochial, but I 100% support the Tallaght task force call for €1 million in additional funding for that agency.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As I said, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. Like my colleagues, I wish him well. I thank Deputies Lahart, Murphy, Crowe, Duffy and Ward for raising this issue. I welcome this opportunity to update the House on the issue of crack cocaine in Tallaght, as highlighted in the report published by the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force. In response to Deputy Murphy, I have listened to the report on "Morning Ireland". I listened to it again this morning and I also have sight of the task force report. While I was shocked and horrified, at the same time, I was aware of what crack cocaine is doing to the Deputies' communities.

The focus of cocaine and crack cocaine as a drug is becoming more prevalent in Ireland. The latest data from the national drug treatment report system for the seven-year period from 2014 to 2020 found an increase of almost 400% in crack cocaine cases. Cases treated for crack cocaine as the main problem drug accounted for 16% of all cocaine treatment last year. Crack cocaine use is a multidimensional problem that reflects social drug use in disadvantaged communities, linked to unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. It is also an intergenerational issue, as some families and children are caught in a cycle of parental drug use, addiction, trauma and hidden harm. The intergenerational piece was what I found the most upsetting in yesterday's report.

Drug use in disadvantaged communities, such as Tallaght, requires interagency recourse, involving An Garda Síochána, South Dublin Country Council, South Dublin County Partnership, the HSE, the education and training board, the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force and community organisations. The whole-of-government approach is the basis for the national drugs strategy. The supply of illegal drugs, such as crack cocaine, and the existence of drug-related intimidation are matters for An Garda Síochána. I am aware that in July, An Garda Síochána commenced Operation Tara to tackle street-level drug dealing. This vital work is having significant success in disrupting drug trafficking and the supply of illicit drugs by organised crime groups, including the seizure by An Garda in September of more than €100,000 in cocaine and MDMA in Tallaght.

In response to the increase in crack cocaine use, the HSE launched harm reduction campaigns entitled Cocaine - Reduce the Harms, and Crack - Reduce the Harms. These campaigns provided up-to-date evidence-based information on cocaine. The HSE drug and alcohol helpline and drugs.ieare also available to provide advice and referral to specialist services. The HSE is responsible for the provision of drug and alcohol services in Tallaght and surrounding areas. It invests €1.7 million in Tallaght drug treatment centres. It also provides outreach services and youth counselling services in the area. The HSE provides €1.08 million to eight section 39 drug and alcohol services in the Tallaght area, two of which operate crack cocaine projects in Jobstown and Killinarden. It also provided the New Hope Residential Centre service with once-off funding of €50,000 in 2021.

In addition, the Department of Health provides funding of €336,000 per annum to youth-related projects in Tallaght, under the auspices of the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force.Further funding of €190,000 was provided in 2019 to the Tallaght and Ballyfermot task forces for an initiative to support women affected by drug and alcohol use to access appropriate treatment services. The Department of Health recently hosted a webinar to discuss the research findings on this topic.

The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, recently met with a representative of the South Dublin County Partnership, which works closely with the Tallaght task force. He informed the Minister of State that the Department of Rural and Community Development has provided funding for the employment of street youth workers in Tallaght to work with young people.

I am conscious that I have not answered the question but I have more in my conclusions.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That answer is much less heartening than the Taoiseach's response when I raised the same issue on the Order of Business. It is not enough. That is the very simple message I ask the Minister of State to bring back to the Minister. She might ask him, and his constituency colleague, why Bray Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force gets significantly more funding than Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force. Riddle me that one please.

The four of us meet the most senior gardaí - in fairness, they have been very accessible - and they have told us they have no handle on crack cocaine. That is probably the scariest piece of all. I will read a brief excerpt from the report as it summarises what people have said: "Crack cocaine users are very visible in [our] community with increased begging at shops and public areas in many parts of Tallaght". We all know this is not exaggerated and we have raised it with An Garda. The report further states:

It has a very detrimental impact on local communities in terms of public order, intimidation, dealing, violence, mental and physical health, child welfare, deprivation, neglect and forced prostitution. The location of a significant number of ‘crack houses’ are known to the local community. The public health risks within such houses are profound and ... may have young children living in them which increases exposure at an early age.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for her forbearance and I will do the same for her when I am in the chair.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I hope the Deputy will not.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I had to play that card tonight. What is being done is not enough and we need more. That is the message we need the Minister of State to bring back to her ministerial colleagues and there is nobody better to do so than her.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Actions speak louder than words. Unfortunately, the actions of the Government show that it is not taking this issue seriously. In the budget a month ago, the entire spend allocated for measures against crack cocaine usage throughout the entire country was €500,000. It is nowhere near adequate.

Let me spell out what an extra €1 million in funding for the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force would mean. It would mean €400,000 for front-line, community-based services. That translates as one additional staff member per community addiction project. It would mean money for youth work, extra money for projects on crack cocaine, money for study and research, and money for additional residential places. It is money that would make a real difference in the community and it is why we will all continue to push for a commitment to be given.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As my colleague said, what the Minister of State announced is clearly not enough. We explained to her that crack cocaine has been a game changer in our community. We are looking for help and support. As others have said, this is an intergenerational issue. We are still dealing with stuff from the late 1980s and the 1990s and now, in the 2020s, we have this latest problem. It is a major challenge.

I do not know if it will shock the Minister of State, but I know of families where grandparents, parents and their children in one household are involved in drug addiction. I do not know if it will surprise her that I am aware of people in their 70s presenting in Tallaght hospital with symptoms of drug use. That is the challenge we are facing. It is a societal issue. It can be tackled but it needs resources and supports. If we do not get those supports, as I said, we will hollow out our communities and we will have nothing left.

Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is very simple. This community needs help. We have a population of 5 million now. We are one big community and this is part of that and it needs help. It is underfunded. The funding has not been brought back even though it has been brought back to various other areas. It is under-resourced with gardaí. I do not know how much more needs to be said. I heard yesterday from Pat Daly, who works in Kiltalown rehabilitation centre, that crystal meth is coming and when that comes you can forget about everything. I was going to say something else but I will not say it. The Government needs to get on board and help these people.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State knows, crack cocaine is a dirty, hungry drug. There is no such thing as enough for the people who are using it and that is the problem with it. It is not a new thing. It has been around for years. I worked on drugs task forces more than 20 years ago and crack cocaine was on the scene then, but because of the lack of resources they had at the time, they were unable to deal with the impacts we are facing now. There are solutions. I have tabled a Bill that would provide that any money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau would be put back into the communities it was taken from. This would allow communities like Tallaght and Clondalkin, and other communities throughout the State, to use that money in that fund. I cannot think of anything better for that money at the moment. This would allow communities to build resilience and stop our young people falling into drug use and drug crime. It would allow mothers and fathers to make sure they are bringing up their children in a safe space and are not worried. We need to look at other alternatives and look outside the box.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will read the Minister's script and I hope I will get 30 seconds to respond myself. I have listened carefully to the views of the Deputies. I reiterate the commitment of this Government to ensuring appropriate supports and resources are in place to tackle drug addiction, including crack cocaine. A strategic priority under the national drugs strategy for the next four years will be to address the social consequences of drug use in disadvantaged communities. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, looks forward to working with all relevant stakeholders, including drug and alcohol task forces, to address the underlying causes of drug use in poorer communities. He will shortly be announcing funding of €1 million to increase access to the provision of community-based drugs and alcohol services.

I hear very clearly that this community is looking for €1 million in its entirety, so straight away there is a funding shortfall there that needs to be addressed. This funding will support the work of drug and alcohol task forces and a portion of the funding will be allocated to community healthcare organisation, CHO 7, which includes Tallaght and south-west Dublin. In budget 2022, the Minister of State secured an additional €6 million for new measures to support the implementation of the national drugs strategy and strengthen the health-led approach to drug and alcohol use, as set out in the programme for Government. This includes €500,000 to address high-risk drug use such as crack cocaine and other drugs to expand harm reduction.

I take on board everything the Deputies have said in this debate, from the fabric of the community being hollowed out to the intergenerational aspect. It is not just the Department of Health that has to step up to the plate here. Let us be very clear. There is a role for the Department of Justice, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Rural and Community Development. There is a role for every Department because unless we get a hold of what has been unleashed in the Deputies' communities, when the next wave comes there will be no fabric left for us to repair. I will take this on board. One of the pieces of the programme for Government I negotiated related to the drugs task forces. I was very passionate about that and the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, is also very committed to it. Not only will I articulate these issues, I will also ensure the Minister for Health finds room within his purse to address them.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the multitasking Minister of State, who came in tonight and acted in three different roles.