Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is an issue that needs to be carefully debated. All children are entitled to equal access in terms of funding of education. We need to be careful on that issue.

Another issue of concern is that of illegal drugs and the problems we face in this regard, in particular in the Cork area. I understand - I am open to correction on this - that as many as nine people have died over the past few months as a result of the use of illegal drugs. There were a further two deaths during the past week. There is a need for a debate in this House and throughout the country on how we are going to address this growing problem. It is becoming more serious and will not go away. Drugs are freely available in all parts of the country, including in villages and towns. We do not appear to be making any progress in reducing access to illegal drugs. There was a major challenge to this issue in New York, which achieved some success. We need to seriously examine what we are doing wrong, and right, and what we need to do to change the culture among the younger generation in this country in terms of illegal drug use, thus ensuring no further deaths as a result. We need to have an urgent debate on this serious issue at an early date.