Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo everything that my colleague, Senator Higgins, said. I would add that no Senator wants to see Seanad staff having to work to such an hour in the evening. It would not happen as a consequence of Senators doing their job, but of interference in the democratic process of this institution.

Last week, I mentioned Keltoi, which is the only medical detox programme in the country. For many years, it has also been the only programme to use a trauma-centric approach. Ignoring resistance from people like me and other services, Keltoi was immediately closed during the lockdown and used as an isolation bed facility. This meant that everyone who had been waiting to leave a residential addiction service and enter aftercare with Keltoi did not get to do so.

For the past few months, I have heard several reports from various services that some of the people on that waiting list took their own lives. I have not commented on that so far because I wanted to make sure that the information I had received was accurate and true. This morning, I received an email directly from one of the services that had been giving support to those men who took their own lives.It is literally a matter of life and death when it comes to the addiction services. I am currently being told by the Department that the situation at Keltoi is under review but the fear is it will be outsourced under section 39. I call on people to see the reality of what happens when we remove an already very limited level of addiction services for a very particular group. People die. It might not make it onto the news or onto our desks, but it is happening. It is assumed that due to Keltoi closing, those participants who were waiting to go there can no longer continue their journey in recovery. I want to put that on the record and I call for a conversation with the Minister on the issue.