Results 401-420 of 1,123,794 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Pippa Hackett)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (10 Oct 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the announcement last month of that €36 million. It is very welcome. Perhaps the Minister of State will give the House an estimate on the overall contribution the State has made on that fund since its inception in 2022. One of the most reprehensible acts that has been done in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is the forced deportation of...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I thank the Chair and thank the witnesses for coming in. As always, I really enjoy the conversations at these committees. I congratulate Ms Brennan on her new role. She has probably broken a record for starting a new role and appearing on front of an Oireachtas committee in a very short period of time, so fair play to her for coming in.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I do not know if I misheard when Ms Brennan was speaking about the drug treatment court. It has been a pilot project since 2001.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Yes.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: That answers my second question as well because I was wondering about the criteria. I worked in addiction services. I used to work in ones out in Clondalkin and at that time, people there were not able to go to the drug treatment courts because of the criteria. Ms Brennan said 699 individuals have gone through the drug treatment courts since 2001. To me that is 30 individuals per year on...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Okay. The drug treatment court has a requirement for being drug-free. Does that include prescription methadone or anything like that?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: It is just street drugs.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I have a question for Mr. Duffin as well. I am aware of his operation in Limerick. I used to work for CASP, which had a sister project, the under-18s service in Limerick. I nearly relocated there are at one stage. I banged my head and ended up in this kind of role at the time. Mr. Duffin mentioned an awful lot about what is going on in Dublin. Maurice Quinlivan, our TD in Limerick, who...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: So it is similar.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: On that as well, we have a big problem in Dublin with drug debt intimidation. We have talked about it at the committee before. The DRIVE project has been started here. Is there anything similar in Limerick? What is the experience there with drug debt intimidation?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Is Limerick experiencing the same level of intimidation as Dublin?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: Going back to the drug treatment court, does drug debt intimidation come up when people are accessing that court? Has that been experienced at all?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I thank the Chair.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Go raibh maith agaibh agus fáilte romhaibh anseo. I wish to follow on from what Deputy Gould said on the funding of the national drugs strategy. Although the costings are not available and a determination has to be made on the actions proposed by the citizens’ assembly, we can state quite categorically that the opposite side is very well funded. That does not look like it will...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Ms Brennan is saying the review is required and that the system works, but that to do it properly, it will have to be on a much bigger scale. Is that correct?

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: I agree. There is still the question of addressing the criminal element and drug debt intimidation. Unfortunately, that is how people are being used. We have seen projects such as Greentown. I spoke to someone lately who told me about county lines and escape lines. It is about real interventions to take kids out of certain circumstances. Dealers are really flexible in how they operate...

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I have to refute some of what was said. I was at another meeting but I caught the end of some allegations against Sinn Féin.

Committee on Drugs Use: A Health-Led Approach: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: There will be questions at the end.