Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this all-party motion on alcohol misuse and illegal drug use. I listened with interest to what Senator Boyle had to say on the topic and the story about his daughter. Unfortunately, many families have experienced this. It is an all too common occurrence on our streets that young people are attacked unprovoked by people who are either drunk or on drugs. The question of safety of young people in our cities and towns is predominant on parents' minds. They hear stories from their children about the experiences and the risks and one no longer feels confident about young people going out at night, such is the nature of the threat on our streets.

I also agreed with Senator Boyle when he spoke about the ambivalence in our attitudes. The ambivalence has been seen in these Houses over the years as well. The time has definitely come for change. The publicans and the drinks industry lobby have been too strong and have had too much influence on legislation. They have also had too much influence on Government policy. We must get clear about what we want to see happening. I hope the Senator and his party will use their influence on the Government so that we do not see this ambivalent attitude continuing, because I think it still exists. The only thing it has come up with is the expert task force on the issue of alcohol misuse, which reported to the Government in 2005. Rather than implementing the recommendations of this task force, the Minister of State has now put in place a new group to report to him. We need to examine the recommendations of that task force and ask what the delay is about, why are the original recommendations not being implemented and where is the national policy on alcohol. The ambivalence is in not having stricter codes of practice for advertising to young people. It is there in the glamorisation to which young people are continuously exposed.

I recognise the work which Senator Keaveney did in this area with her committee. We must pull together all the recommendations from these various groups and come up with a strong, integrated policy that is not ambivalent on the issue. If we do not do so, the implications will be even more serious.

Reading the report that came out on 25 January leads me to believe there is a crisis at present. The statistics are startling. One in four respondents aged 15 to 64 reported taking illegal drugs at one point in their lives. These young people have the access, the money, the need and the opportunity to take drugs. It is frightening. The most commonly used illegal drug is cannabis and 23% of those questioned used it at least once in their lifetime, while 7% used it in the last year and 3% used it in the last month. There is a 22% use of cannabis among all adults. There are very different views on cannabis, but I believe it can be a gateway drug for people. The damage it can do has been greatly underestimated and I would refer the House to the studies that have been done on cannabis use and psychosis. Young men are very much at risk. All of this is linked to alcohol, because it is difficult to separate alcohol policy and drugs.

I wish to talk about the task force and the new group appointed by the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that it will report quickly. Again, I agree with Senator Boyle about the legislation that has been passed and that there are flaws. One can see from every garage one goes to nowadays that cost and availability influences usage. Availability is ubiquitous and this is a major problem for communities. They are very unhappy that alcohol is so easily available, whether at garages or off-licences, and about the disorder this leads to.

It is important that the needs and views of young people should be taken into account in the new group set up by the Minister of State. There is no representative, for example, from either the youth work sector or the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. We must also recognise the enormous cultural attitudes that are at play. To change cultural attitudes and values is tricky. It can be done through education and information. The links between the drug task forces, for example, and the schools have not been made effectively. We want to see greater linkage between what is being done by Government and reaching young people in the schools. That is where the change in mindset can be brought about at an earlier stage, as well as in the home. I would be interested if the Minister of State could address this.

A clear national strategy is needed to tackle alcohol misuse, not just task forces and expert groups but a clear plan with goals and a timeframe. Many people believe the illegal drug problem is being exacerbated by the Government's lack of action in tackling alcohol misuse. The report by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, published on 25 January, reveals some stark statistics which give a real insight into the scale of the problem with drugs. I have quoted some of them already. An increase of 18.5% in four years is extraordinary. We need a more co-ordinated plan in our schools. The Minister of State has yet to appoint a social, personal and health education regional development officer to liaise between young students and the local drugs task forces, and this is a lost opportunity. Perhaps the Minister of State could address this.

The quantity of drugs coming into the country is clearly a major issue, given the statistics available and the volumes being found. The Garda says this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is nothing compared with what actually is coming in. The question of small airports and how well resourced the Customs and Excise service is should be looked at as well as the role of the Naval Service. It is small but whatever we can do to intercept drug supplies must be done. This is a worldwide issue and is not easy to deal with, but clearly in this country we are losing the fight against the importation of drugs. That is a key area that needs to be taken much more seriously and addressed in greater detail.

In my constituency I see how intimidated individual families feel. They are very nervous about reporting people who cause anti-social behaviour in the area. It difficult for families to do because they are nervous about repercussions and there is a real sense of being intimidated. I do not envy the Garda its job in this area. There is no doubt that gangland feuds, violent crime and intimidation are becoming widespread in many areas in large towns and cities. The Dublin coroner recently released statistics which show that cocaine is a factor in almost one third of all inquests into drug related deaths in the capital. We have discussions in the Seanad on the increased use of cocaine and the frightening damage, danger and death to which it can lead.

On the crime side, we have seen the Central Statistics Office figures which show a 21% increase in drug offences. This indicates that something serious is happening in terms of access and usage and the resultant health implications and offences. The type of scenario Senator Boyle spoke about is being fuelled by all these factors.

It is very distressing for families when young adults who are drug-addicted find it very difficult to get services. Frequently, one hears of 18 or 20-week waiting lists. If a young person has reached a point where the family can support him or her into treatment, we must seek to ensure it is available. This is far from being the case, as we know, and it certainly is so in Dublin. I am not so familiar with other regions in the country but in my area it is a real problem for families as they try to hold the young person who says he or she is ready for treatment but cannot access it. The lack of inpatient beds for detoxification is also an issue. If we want to support people in giving up drugs, that issue must be looked at as well. I believe cross-party support is available for whatever initiatives are needed in this regard.

Having alternatives for young people is important. The youth café movement, for example, is a great help. A youth café was established recently in my area. It has taken the young people a couple of years to get it up and running because of the work they had to do in terms of premises, resources and agreements. We need a youth plan urgently. Alternatives at an early age so that young people can get involved in sports and community activities, and having safe places where they can meet are clearly important.