Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I thank Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for being in the Chamber today. I purposely requested the Minister for Health because we are at a point of escalation in relation to the issue I speak to today. If I were in a position to do so, I probably would have called for the Taoiseach to come in to address the issue. He has spoken about it in the Dáil.

What is happening right now with the north inner city drugs task force represents what I and many who on the ground and involved in drugs task forces believe to be one of the most serious attacks that we have experienced on the principle of community engagement on our national drug strategy, NDS, and on the independent voice of the community sector. That attack happens by throwing out words like "governance" and never backing it up and saying what the governance issues are, neither within these Chambers nor to the people who the allegations are levelled against.

It reminds me a little bit of growing up in my community where all you had to do is write, "Lynn is a rat" on the wall. You never had to give any evidence, explain why or give any sort of rationale as to what that meant. However, you were tarred as soon as it was there. Everybody else would slowly step away, just in case what was being said was somehow right.

That is what the Department is doing to the north inner city. It is labelling it as if there is something there, but it is not saying what that is. The north inner city has now been without a functioning drugs and alcohol task force since June. This has happened because of the actions of a Department official who took upon himself the right to interfere in the selection of the new task force chair by blocking the appointment of the duly elected incoming chair. Right now, this official is continuing to interfere by setting up bilateral meetings with task force members, operating outside of any kind of proper process or procedure that we should be entitled to expect from any public official.

The selection process for the new task force was overseen and managed by the outgoing chair, Dr. Joe Barry. The new chair, Ms Anna Quigley, was nominated by the task force community representatives and unanimously approved by the full task force membership in April.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator, I do not mean to interrupt you and stop your contribution but I just want you to be careful in relation to identifying individuals.

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I asked them for permission.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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That is all right. I just want you to be mindful of it.

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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By blocking the appointment of a strong community nominee as chair, the professional integrity and reputation of both the outgoing and incoming chairs have been questioned and undermined. Unfounded allegations around governance issues are being made without producing, as I said, any shred of evidence whatsoever. Both are known to us all as people of the highest standing in their fields and highly respected across many sectors involved in our NDS. We should be thrilled that people of this calibre are willing to take on a voluntary role as a chair of a drugs task force and offering them every encouragement. Instead, this whole sorry story sends out a very disheartening message to anyone who might be thinking about making a contribution to their community in this way.Last week in the Dáil, the Taoiseach said he: "... passionately believe[s] in the community and voluntary pillar in terms of the implementation of national [drugs] strategies and in working to formulate and implement those strategies". I believe him. We are asking his colleague, the Minister for Health, who I would like to have seen here, to immediately intervene in this situation. I ask that the Taoiseach meet with the north inner city community networks as they called for his support in their statement last week. The outcome of what is happening in the north inner city has really serious implications for all drugs task forces. If things continue in the direction they are going in it is a clear message to all such task forces that the Department of Health is in control and if they do not go along with what it wants them to do then they will be punished. It sends out a clear message to all of us in the community sector that there is no place for us anymore in the national drugs strategy.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Ruane for raising this issue. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is in the Dáil from 10 a.m. until noon for a Private Members' Bill. I welcome the opportunity to update the Seanad on the Department's engagement with the North Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force to address the governance issues that are preventing it from operating effectively.

Drug and alcohol task forces play an important role under the national drugs strategy in co-ordinating services to assist individuals and families to address drug and alcohol issues in the community. Task forces oversee the allocation of almost €29 million in Government funding. A handbook for governance and operation of task forces is in place since 2011. Task forces are expected to conduct their affairs in accordance with the handbook. Senator Ruane, as the independent chairperson of a drug and alcohol task force, will be familiar with the handbook and appreciate its role in managing the affairs of the task force.

The devastating impact of drugs and alcohol use on the north inner city was acknowledged by the Government with the establishment of the North East Inner City, NEIC, Programme Implementation Board to implement the recommendations of the Mulvey report. The Department of Health chairs the board subgroup on drugs and alcohol use and works closely with local stakeholders, including drugs and alcohol task forces, to improve the provision of drug and alcohol services in the community. The Department co-funded a community needs analysis to identify drug and alcohol issues affecting the local community, in conjunction with the task force. The Department also engaged with the task force on the appointment of a new independent chairperson to drive the work of the task force. It identified the need to broaden the membership of the task force to include all local stakeholders. The Department has sought to work with the task force leadership and membership to address these governance concerns. I support the autonomy of the task force to appoint its chairperson and believe the collective membership is the appropriate entity to appoint a chairperson on a consensual basis. It is important that the membership of the task force is afforded the opportunity to consider these governance concerns and to decide how it wishes to proceed on the appointment of a chairperson.

As Minister of State, I urged the outgoing chair to engage with all members of the task force, community, voluntary and statutory, to consider this matter on a consensual basis. Unfortunately, the task force leadership and members have not been able to resolve the impasse in the appointment of a chairperson of the task force. I note the content of the recent email circulated to local services that states the task force is no longer in a position to function. This follows the resignation of the chairperson and company directors. The Department is concerned by this development, as am I, given our oversight of the task force and the €2.2 million in public funding allocated to projects under its remit. The Department and I will continue to work with stakeholders in the north inner city to establish effective, inclusive and transparent governance of the task force and the funding it allocates. My officials and I are currently engaged in a consultation process with stakeholders on a process to re-establish the task force. I expect to shortly receive a report that sets out the next steps in that re-establishment.

I value the Senator's judgment and opinion. If there is anything we can do to bring all the stakeholders together to try to resolve this issue, my door is open at all times. We might have to take a different approach to try to resolve this because it is an issue that has not been dealt with appropriately in the last few months. I hope we can do that.

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comments. I have just pulled up the handbook to check a particular point. If that overreach by an official in relation to the election of the chair had not happened we would not be in the position of saying the task force cannot operate at all. Task forces should be free to appoint their chair without interference by the Department, provided the chair:

... is not directly connected with any of the projects being funded by the Task Force. ... [and there is] complete transparency in the arrangements put in place by [the drugs task forces] DTFs for the selection process and appointment of Chairs.

That is from the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces handbook. There was nothing in the appointment of the chair that did not repeat what was required by that handbook. I do not think we can keep saying: "governance and handbooks". The Department should come out very strongly and say there was not a governance issue. If this is what the Department is seeing as a governance issue, that is, that there was something wrong with the appointment of the chair, then that is very different from saying the word "governance" out there because everyone thinks the worst. People think somebody has done something fraudulent or that there has been a misappropriation of funds or that somebody has been dishonest. The onus is now on the Department to clarify what it means when it said it was governance issues that led it to over-reaching into this. The Department gave itself a power it did not have to suspend the task force and that is not okay. If the Department can take ownership of what it did wrong in the process maybe people will be able to move closer to fixing the issue.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. I am committed to addressing the drug and alcohol issues affecting the north inner city in conjunction with the local community and relevant service providers. Considerable additional resources have been provided to enhance drug and alcohol services in the area, both from the NEIC initiative and the Department's budget. The drugs and alcohol task force has a key role to play. However, it is clear that maybe a new start is needed for the task force so it can command the support of all stakeholders, including the local community, statutory agencies and local politicians.

I would like to confirm that the Department's annual funding of €2.2 million for community and services under the auspices of the task force is continuing and there should be no disruption in front-line services. The residents of the north inner city deserve a well governed and fully functioning task force. In particular, a transparent process for the selection and appointment of an independent chairperson is required. I ask for the co-operation of all stakeholders in putting this in place. If there is anything we can do, if we can bring something from a different angle and if the Senator can be helpful or whatever and we can bring the stakeholders together, my door is always open. Maybe we could resolve this by sitting around a table because there have been many letters flying around. If there is anything we can do my door is, as I said, open. I think this can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I hope those people can get around the table because it is a very important issue. The next matter is in the name of Senator Fitzpatrick.