Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role her Department is taking in the National Drugs Strategy. [3987/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, sets out government policy on drug and alcohol use for the period 2017 to 2025. The strategy provides an integrated health-led approach to drug and alcohol use, focused on reducing the harms for individuals, families and communities and promoting rehabilitation and recovery.

The vision of Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery is for a healthier and safer Ireland. Reducing the harms caused to individuals, families and communities by substance use is a core goal of the Strategy. Ensuring that every person is empowered to improve their health and wellbeing and quality of life is a further important goal. The vision highlights the importance of empowering people at the individual level and building strong communities for health and wellbeing.

To support and empower communities facing poverty and deprivation, work is being done on a number of programmes and initiatives in my Department, such as the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Place-based Leadership Programme, the Community Development Pilot Programme, and the Empowering Communities Programme.

In order to ensure the combined involvement of the statutory, community, and volunteer sectors to deliver a coordinated response to drug and alcohol use in Irish society, the National Drugs Strategy is key to the work that my Department does in these areas.

My Department has two main goals within the National Drugs Strategy, which relate to providing community supports in collaboration with schools and other youth programmes, and improving the life chances of those that are marginalised in society. We continue to progress both goals in collaboration with communities and stakeholders. In addition, DRCD provides funding to Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, a national network of community activists and community organisations that are involved in responding to Ireland's drugs crisis

My officials also have regular engagement with the Department of Health regarding the National Drugs Strategy. My Department is represented on and provides the secretariat to, Strategic Implementation Group 4, which comprises sectoral, agency and Departmental officials.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need. SICAP aims to address high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted and innovative, locally-led approaches.

Disadvantaged children and families and disadvantaged young people (aged 15-24 years) were target groups for SICAP from 2018-2023.

The new SICAP programme 2024-2028 has 2 main goals - goal 1: supporting communities and goal 2: supporting individuals. Under Goal 1, SICAP supports collective community engagement and the development of more sustainable, stronger communities. This is achieved through providing direct supports to local communities and developing the capacity of Local Community Groups, to ensure that they can better engage with other groups and actively improve the lives of people in their communities.

Within SICAP 2024-2028, there are eight Thematic Focus Areas where SICAP staff can work with groups of individuals, Local Community Groups, Social Enterprises and Networks on specific themes. Youth is one of the named Thematic Focus Areas of SICAP 2024-2028.

In the context of young people, SICAP's specific focus is to support the development of youth groups, preventative early school leaving initiatives, youth focussed active citizenship and leadership programmes, and mental health and wellbeing programmes.

SICAP also meets the needs of local communities and groups that are identified, represented and integrated through local planning and service delivery. SICAP target groups and community groups are represented and actively participate in decision-making structures. In addition, SICAP 2024-2028 will support progression of individuals into volunteer placements, which is also a means of engaging young people in community activity.