Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following;

"considering:

there 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 for drug treatment across the country, with an estimated 365 more beds needed at hospital, community and rehabilitation levels to meet demand;

in view of:

Government failure to implement the recommendations of the working group on drug rehabilitation under the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008;

the delay in the rollout of treatment projects for drug users;

calls on the Government to:

immediately implement the outstanding recommendations of the rehabilitation pillar of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008;

ensure regional and local drugs task forces are adequately resourced and supported to tackle drug mis-use in the regions; and

introduce additional residential services in line with recommendations, in order to reduce waiting times for drug treatment services."

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well. The motion before us is welcome and timely but I make no apology for proposing the Fine Gael amendment. I do so on behalf of the ordinary people of Ireland who have asked us to represent them in this Chamber. These are people whose family members have been victims of drugs and who have today and this week on TV3 painted a very graphic story of what it means to be a citizen of Ireland in this century.

This Government came into power more than 11 years ago with a national drugs strategy we all welcomed and bought into. We can consider its four pillars. Supply reduction has failed and a 10% detection rate with regard to prevention is not good enough. With regard to treatment, residential treatment centres are not available and detox beds are not in place. There are waiting lists for methadone treatment. It is not good enough. We have research coming out of our ears but there is no leadership or Government action.

I make no apology for tabling an amendment to the motion. I am not being adversarial. I have listened to the people of Cork who attended the consultative process and read or heard what they said. The character of drug use has changed from the 1980s and 1990s to today, which the Minister of State himself knows. We should not bury our heads in the sand.

In a very eloquent opening, Senator O'Malley asked if there was an alternative to this war without end. I hope there is. Senator Cannon spoke of empowerment and that we should educate people but such action needs genuine political leadership which challenges, provides resources and empowers people. That is not happening.

Senators can give me all the replies in the world and speeches with statistics concerning money and local drugs task forces, but this action is not happening locally. The figures, unfortunately, prove this and I get no joy from saying that. I have visited classrooms where people have seen their peers committing suicide because they owe money to drug barons which they cannot afford to repay. I have gone to the homes of families run out of estates because they are afraid of living in Ireland today. That is the war we are talking about.

The people in question are not grandiose but are ordinary people struggling and trying to get out of a mire. Senators should not lecture me about being adversarial. This Government came into power and indicated it would have a consultative process and drug strategies. We have not learned.