Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am a bit taken aback by the language that has been used on the proposed injecting centre. I do not believe public representatives, Members of the Oireachtas or anybody in public life should use a phrase like "dumping" when it comes to life-saving interventions such as will be available in an injecting centre. We are dealing with people who suffer from addiction and who are generally at the very lowest end of the political priority list. There tends to be name-calling in media circles on the issue. It is unbecoming of a Member of the Oireachtas to suggest in the Chamber that the establishment of an injecting centre, which will save lives, prevent the spread of hepatitis C and HIV and prevent overdoses, and which have prevented overdoses, including fatal overdoes, wherever they exist across Europe and the world, is being dumped anywhere. When we are dealing with vulnerable communities and people who are vulnerable, could we please not use language like that? I find it offensive.

I will raise two issues. One is the issue of policing. The Minister, Deputy Ross, is celebrating the pending opening of his pet project of Stepaside Garda station, which is of interest to us on the north side who deal with issues of antisocial behaviour and policing daily. I dealt with an issue of antisocial behaviour in Beaumont recently which is hurting the community there. I ask that the Minister for Justice and Equality would come to the House to justify his policy on Garda stations and to talk about the policing issues we on the north side have with crime and antisocial behaviour.I ask that he also address the issue of the need for a Garda station in the Belmayne-Clongriffin area, seeing as it is a population centre that could house as many as 50,000 people in the coming years.

I wish to impress on the Leader the need for the Minister for Health to come before the House to discuss any number of issues concerning prescription drugs and drugs that are needed to save the lives of people with various ailments. The issue of cervical cancer has been in the media in recent days, and justifiably so, but the issue of the drug Spinraza has not gone away. Children and young people who suffer from spinal muscular atrophy are facing into a winter which their parents and loved ones are concerned they might not survive. They need Spinraza. It is absolutely essential that it be provided to them and at this stage I feel it is time for the Minister for Health to come into the Chamber to address this issue specifically.