Results 1,121-1,140 of 6,045 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: In respect of the €2 million for enhancement services, €200,000 and €240,000 has gone to the nine community healthcare organisations, CHOs. I report that 25% of that funding is ring-fenced access for the provision of drug and alcohol services for women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQI+ community who often face barriers in accessing drug and alcohol services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I would like to think that, yes, those members will remain there for the lifetime of the strategy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I will refer to Dr. Keenan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: Deputy Crowe has articulated a point. It tells us that there is a great need for a supervised injection facility at Merchant's Quay. It is subject to planning permission from An Bord Pleanála. The sooner the better that we can get a pilot medically supervised injection facility. It may help some of those issues. I accept there are issues. There are issues concerning the Garda. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: No. What I think is that we need to destigmatise issues around people who use drugs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: That is a legal and justice issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I am glad the Deputy has welcomed the €850,000 initiative. The Tallaght drug and alcohol task force put forward a very powerful argument for that funding. That task force highlighted the problem through its very informative report. Tallaght is an area that has intergenerational issues, with some families and children caught up in a cycle of drug use, addiction, trauma and harm. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I am coming to the question now. On the €1.2 million funding, I will ask my officials to comment further, but I suspect there are streams of funding coming from other agencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I have received an invitation to visit Tallaght. I will call to visit. We need to take a multidimensional approach. We need to work with the Department of the Taoiseach and many other Departments to get-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I have championed it. Since my appointment to this role, I have secured extra funding for the national drugs portfolio. I believe Tallaght put a reasonable case with respect to the €850 million because it is in a difficult situation. I think it will be successful, but I cannot determine that until I see the report coming in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I want to go back to the funding. I very much welcome the invitation. I will call out and we will sit down to try to address these issues. I will bring in Mr. Jim Walsh regarding funding, because he might be more aware of the funding streams.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I commend the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force on that report, because now we have a roadmap we can follow. That is a huge benefit to the Department, as it is across agencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Chair has highlighted this issue on many occasions. The points he has articulated, along with Deputies Lahart and Brophy and many others, came out in the report. I am looking forward to calling out. I was hoping to call out before Christmas. Unfortunately, I got Covid and I was off for three weeks. As well as this, we had the lockdown. I want to go out as soon as I can and meet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: The report, entitled The Landscape of Substance Misuse and its Impact on the Communities of Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force, highlighted that issue. The Chairman spoke about emerging trends. We have, in one aspect, tried to deal with emerging trends through the funding of €850,000 over three years and the €240,000 going to the relevant community healthcare organisation,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I will bring in Mr. Walsh on Sláintecare because he has more knowledge of that finer detail.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: The national oversight committee will deal with that. Again, we need much more collaboration. A lot has been done in the last view years but in order to deal with these very difficult issues we need cross-government, cross-community collaboration at all times.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I do not have that detail but I will ask my officials to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: I will come in. There are many things happening. The revision of the adult caution scheme has led to a significant reduction in the number of prosecutions for simple possession. In addition, we are, as a Government, committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms. We can see from the Commissioner that they want to dismantle the operations of criminal organisations. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: First of all, regarding the funding and Tallaght, as the Deputy has raised again, €240,000 that has been given to the community health organisation, CHO, in that area-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Jan 2022)

Frank Feighan: There is €240,000 that has gone to that area, but also we have allocated €850,000 over three years. There would be perhaps four or five different groups, but that would tell me there will be more than €220,000 or €250,000 per year for three years. Our officials can sit down with the HSE as well and address the Tallaght issue. It is part of the report that it was...