Results 161-180 of 3,611 for speaker:Mark Ward

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: That was my experience. At some stage it was once weekly and if a doctor had concerns it was twice weekly. It was being used punitively.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I thank our witnesses for their opening statements. It was very interesting to listen to them. I am from Clondalkin and over the past few years, we have been lucky enough to have some very progressive community gardaí, particularly with regard to people in the throes of addiction. They see these people as people and not as a burden on society. Once that relationship changed, we could...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: That daily interaction with people, when done humanely, trickles back into the community, families and the organisations the people may be engaged with. Community policing, especially at that level, really works.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Are conversations taking place with members of the force in relation to potential changes in drug policy? For example, if we move from decriminalising the person but not the drug, how would that affect gardaí on a daily basis? What are their thoughts on that?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I am sorry to cut across Mr. Kelly. He referred to the organisational change the Garda has to make and there could be more organisational change if some of the recommendations are carried into legislation. Does the Garda get support on that? Does it get resources to implement that change or it is doing that out of existing resources?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Professor Comiskey mentioned Patricia, who was abused at the age of seven. She was injecting at the age of 15. She was criminalised for her sexuality at the age of 20 and got HIV at the age of 24. Now aged 45, she is still subjected to supervised urine testing. I spoke about this last week, but part of a previous role when I first started was supervising male urine samples. I always...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (15 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: 325. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to guarantee if a child (details supplied) can be considered for a school placement. [41581/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (15 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: 326. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a child (details supplied) can be considered for a NEPS assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41583/24]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Pay (15 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: 449. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality is she aware that the community prison links service is operating on the exact same funding levels from 2002 to present date and that this is unsustainable and has resulted in services propping up this service from their core funding, which has further implications for its core services (details supplied); if she will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Addiction Treatment Services (15 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: 602. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the €2.3 million funding for local and regional drug taskforces in September; if it has been allocated and drawn down; and if so, by whom. [41118/24]

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I thank the Minister of State. I really appreciate that. As she knows, this is a vital, life-saving organisation. I often criticise Government policies so I want to spend a bit of time talking about some of the things Sinn Féin would do if it had a chance to be in government. We have produced a mental health action plan comprising several policy documents over the past while. The...

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I do not know how many more engagements we will have from one side of the House to the other. On this World Mental Health Day I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and her staff all the very best. I know we have had political differences over the years but I wish you all the best on World Mental Health Day. I want to thank everybody working in mental health services on World...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Seven hundred children were put in generic wards last year for mental health issues.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I thank the Chair and thank the witnesses for coming in. As always, I really enjoy the conversations at these committees. I congratulate Ms Brennan on her new role. She has probably broken a record for starting a new role and appearing on front of an Oireachtas committee in a very short period of time, so fair play to her for coming in.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I do not know if I misheard when Ms Brennan was speaking about the drug treatment court. It has been a pilot project since 2001.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Yes.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: That answers my second question as well because I was wondering about the criteria. I worked in addiction services. I used to work in ones out in Clondalkin and at that time, people there were not able to go to the drug treatment courts because of the criteria. Ms Brennan said 699 individuals have gone through the drug treatment courts since 2001. To me that is 30 individuals per year on...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Okay. The drug treatment court has a requirement for being drug-free. Does that include prescription methadone or anything like that?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: It is just street drugs.