Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I thank those who have contributed to this debate and congratulate my party leader, Senator Brian Hayes, who sought the debate over many weeks. The more times we meet to discuss the serious drugs problem the better. Hopefully, we will learn from each other and the Minister will take on board some of our recommendations.

Unfortunately, I did not hear the contribution of the Minister of State but I have been reading through it. I am aware of his personal commitment to dealing with this ever-growing problem. It is an issue that requires commitment not only from him but from many other Ministers and Departments because a multi-faceted approach is required.

I listened with interest to Senator Ó Murchú who presented a different but important angle to this debate. As in many of Senator Ó Murchú's contributions, he highlighted how society is changing and how a changed society brings negatives as well as positives. Unfortunately, during the past 20 or 30 years the huge cultural change here which has produced a more economically liberal society has also had negative effects. The loss of community and interaction between neighbours and the fact that there are enormous housing estates where one family hardly knows their next door neighbours is causing traditional values to disappear. When we use the term "traditional values" we can be accused of looking back to some long gone conservative era where things were perfect. Of course things were not perfect 20, 50 or 70 years ago but there were qualities of life then which have disappeared, such as co-operation between neighbours and communities. The loss of those values has led to a much colder and harsher society.

Against that backdrop there is a growing problem among young people who do not have the foundations on which to depend which we had. That the drugs culture takes over in many cases is easy to understand.