Results 181-200 of 204 for drugs speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy (23 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ...State is taking this matter on behalf of her colleague, but this is a standard format reply, particularly the last half, on aspirational matters. The Minister of State did not say funding for the drugs task forces had been cut, that we had no detox beds and that there were waiting lists for such treatment. We cannot wait for the new national drugs strategy. It has been approved by the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ...is correct in saying the voluntary code has not worked. We must consider sports sponsorship, perhaps the advertising ban and, more importantly, we need to include alcohol as part of the national drugs strategy which is enforced. I call on the Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister for Health and Children on child care. The report yesterday from the Health Service Executive revealed...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ...the Leader will this month celebrate his 50th anniversary as a pioneer. That is a tremendous achievement for which he deserves great credit. Alcohol is the most widely used and most harmful drug in our society. A debate is required as a matter of urgency.

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy (28 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this issue. I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with the issue of drug rehabilitation facilities outside Dublin. It must be acknowledged that we do not have enough beds for rehabilitation, particularly in Cork which has no detox beds. A report carried out by Dr. Mai Mannix highlights the fact that we should have 24 beds for the...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy (28 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ...of State for his reply, the people he mentioned would state they are struggling to cope with demand and that they require more resources. The Minister of State stated he had requested the national drug rehabilitation implementation committee to carry out a review. When does he hope to have this review published and implemented?

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ...to bring in the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with responsibility for drugs, Deputy Curran, to have a debate because gangland war has gone on for too long. We are painting a picture in the media, we are closing our eyes to it and we are not tackling it head on. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I will conclude on this. We are losing the battle against drugs and gangland war and the time for rhetoric is over.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ...debate on what prison means in this country and we have to send a strong message to thugs whose only interest is self-preservation. They do not care about ordinary human beings who do not deal in drugs or intimidate witnesses and jurors. We have to get serious. We have had 11 years of successive Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. When are we going to see reforms that stand...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I am quite simple in my approach and we must eradicate drugs from our society. To do this requires political leadership, more resources for the Garda for enforcement, better use of the courts and help for young people through education. The advertising campaign on the issue this spring was ineffective. We must learn from the mistakes that have been made and go forward. I hope the Minister...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ...has been a reported seven fold rise in the number of cocaine cases seeking treatment between 2001 and 2006; the number of new heroin cases outside Dublin doubled between 2001 and 2006; levels of drug use among Irish teenagers are now far greater than the European average with 50% of young people having used drugs at some stage in their lives; the shortage of dedicated residential services...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ...to residential treatment centres and detox beds, there are nine counties with no such facilities after 11 years of prosperity. Senators have the temerity to come in and lecture us on how to tackle drugs but we should get real.

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ——is we are small island community. Our teenagers have overtaken those in the United States of America in the use of drugs. What does that tell us? What are we telling the people around the country in every urban and rural part of Ireland?

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ...in this area, he went out to meet the people, listened and engaged. I have a fundamental difficulty with this Government because there has not been a reduction in the availability of illicit drugs. The national drugs strategy aims to enable people with drug misuse problems to access treatment and other supports in order to reintegrate into society. Since this strategy came into being,...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I seek an urgent debate on prisons in light of the report in The Irish Times yesterday which shows levels of drug use in prisons are high. Inmates tested positive for drug use approximately 40,000 times during the past three years. This is a damning indictment of Government policy since 2006. We have seen no reduction in drug consumption in prisons despite promises from successive...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I pay tribute to the Irish Examiner on yesterday's wonderful supplement on drugs. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the health promotion unit of the Departments of Health and Children and Education and Science because the newspaper's supplement is filling a void created by the absence of Government action. I join other Senators in noting the withdrawal by RTE of its medium wave radio...

Seanad: Substance Abuse: Motion (19 Dec 2007)

Jerry Buttimer: I second the motion. I wish to share my time with Senator Coffey. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Carey, to the House. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the escalating drug issue and the consumption of alcohol. I commend the Minister of State's contribution and I assure him of cross-party consensus on this motion. If the Government is serious about tackling the serious...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Jerry Buttimer: ...on the Cork-Swansea ferry. It is critical to regional development in the southern region and particularly in the Cork-Kerry tourism area. I join with Senator Cummins in raising the issue of drugs and, in particular, "Prime Time Investigates" last. Like Senator Harris, I congratulate RTE on its approach to the problem. The programme last night would have been lost to the generation to...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

Jerry Buttimer: I join those who have asked the Leader to facilitate a further debate on the drugs strategy. When he speaks to the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with responsibility for this area, he might ask the national forum on drugs to convene to gain the consensus on the issue which exists across the House. There is a malaise in our society. More and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Nov 2007)

Jerry Buttimer: ...of alcohol. President McAleese made an excellent speech last September in regard to alcohol. Senator Keaveney and I hold similar views on the use of alcohol as a pillar of the national drugs strategy. I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on alcohol policy going forward. It is wrong to blame Cumann Lúthchleas Gael and its sponsorship as a means of promoting alcohol. It is probably...

Seanad: Witness Protection Programme Bill 2007: Second Stage (31 Oct 2007)

Jerry Buttimer: ...I was growing up it was a huge story. It is still a huge story today but it has become more commonplace, which is unacceptable. Will we as legislators give in to fear and intimidation and allow drug barons and gangland bosses to control our streets? Is that what we want? If so, we may as well put up our hands, wave the white flag, surrender, go back into the trenches, put our heads in...