Results 1-20 of 4,359 for speaker:Gino Kenny

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Forty-five years ago, children from St. Mary's Youth Club went travelled to Wicklow, to the Glen of Imaal . If the Tánaiste is familiar with that walk, he will know it brings you up to Lugnaquillia, the highest mountain in Leinster. It is a fantastic walk. On that fateful day, one of the children picked up an object which he thought was part of an engine but seconds later it exploded,...

Genocide in Gaza: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I too offer Deputies Howlin and Murphy well wishes in their future outside Dáil Éireann.

Genocide in Gaza: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I commend the Social Democrats on this poignant motion. What we are seeing on our television screens every night is almost unbearable to watch, but you have to keep watching, because if you turn away, it will keep happening. The past 13 months have been exceptional in the absolute inhumanity of what is being done to the people of Gaza. The only parallel I can make in the politicisation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (7 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: 120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the long-term funding plans for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45526/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Good morning, everybody. I want to start off with one of the central themes of this particular issue for the past 50 years, which has been political will to really address issues around drug dependency and so forth. The citizens' assembly and the special committee on drug use issued recommendations and they were largely progressive in terms of looking at different policies and approaches to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Obviously, we have had the status quo and what would be termed as a health-led approach. We have had this health-led approach for the past six or seven years and it has largely been lip service in terms of really getting down to the nitty-gritty of trying to save lives. Ireland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe. Some of those deaths could have been prevented. There are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: We have to be bold and radical in how we look at this issue. We need to look at the underlying issues of dependency and at different forms of how different countries have tackled drug dependency. Portugal has been cited. It is not perfect by any means but it is better than what we have at present. The elephant in the room that many people do not want to talk about, however, is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: That is an observation. I do not know if the witnesses want to comment on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: That is perfectly legal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: That is a good point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I always find strange the juxtaposition between drugs and alcohol. Alcohol is a perfectly legal substance to buy, while drugs are completely illegal. I find that parallel a bit of a contradiction in terms of our policy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I want to drill down into the figures around the problematic use of drugs and those who are seeking treatment, although I am not sure the Department can give a breakdown of this. The figures are startling and they have increased by nearly 50% since 2017. Can the Department give a breakdown of the substances that people are seeking treatment for, in particular with regard to problematic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: There is a definite trend since 2017 in the context of those presenting with an addiction to cocaine and the decline in heroin use.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: There appears to be roughly a 50% increase. Mr. Walsh spoke about prescribed drugs and polydrug use, could he identify a percentage out of that 50%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Would it represent a higher percentage of that 50%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Does the polydrug use involve prescribed drugs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I think "leakage" is the term used.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: I ask Mr. Walsh to send those figures on when he gets a chance. The Department is compiling the new national drugs strategy. Given the citizens' assembly's recommendations and the special committee on drug use, how effective will that strategy be in the context of the provision of amending legislation? The soundings thus far from Government are that it will not go near the misuse of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: There is definitely a shift in public opinion, as reflected in the citizens' assembly and the special committee, to the effect that we need to do something very different from what we have been doing for the past four or five years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Gino Kenny: Yes.