Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join colleagues in expressing gratitude to the Cathaoirleach, the staff, the Leader and everyone here who made this a successful term. I wish my colleagues a good holiday. I echo the congratulations of Senator Paddy Burke to Commissioner Phil Hogan on his unique achievement in receiving the medal of honour in Austria. It is a mark the esteem in which he is held across the EU. We are very proud of that.

I am anxious that the Leader make time available at the beginning of the next term for a debate on the health strategy on drug and alcohol issues, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, which was launched this week by An Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. The strategy involves a pilot supervised injecting facility in Dublin city centre, an increase in the number of nursing personnel in residential services, an awareness campaign and a whole lot more sensitivity in the treatment of addicts. It advocates a more rehabilitative approach rather than a punitive one. That is all good. I acknowledge our colleague, who is not in the House at the moment, Senator Ó Ríordáin, who did some pioneering work on this in government. We should be proud that he is a Member of the Seanad now. There is one aspect that I ask the Leader to include in the debate on drug and alcohol issues, namely, the policing dimension. As we augment police numbers throughout the State, we need to have specific drugs units active in every policing division to allow for detection. I ask the Leader to facilitate this issue being included in the debate to be held during the next session.I met a parent who is a very good friend of mine whose child has become an addict. They had harrowing stories to tell about gangs threatening the family, the child being threatened and having to come up with money on a number of occasions. It was horrific so it is a very serious issue. I appeal to the Leader to make it a priority in the new term.