Results 401-420 of 1,104,026 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú) in 'Committee meetings'

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)

Gino Kenny: I have a number of questions about the drug treatment court. How many times a year does the court sit?

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

Gino Kenny: It sits 48 times a year, therefore. Is that correct?

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

Gino Kenny: How many people tend to come before the court on a given Wednesday?

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

Gino Kenny: Does it tend to be the same 20 people every week or does it change?

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

Gino Kenny: It is a very good concept. The first time I saw it was in Philly McMahon's very good documentary, which showed the positive sides of diversion, education and so forth. My understanding is that the programme tries to separate the issues of dependency, sanctioning and the person. What is the interaction between the judge and the person who is there? What happens?

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

Gino Kenny: Can the judge issue any sanction against that person at any time?

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

Gino Kenny: I do not mean a criminal sanction. Can the judge say they feel the person is not progressing in the way they should be and that this court may not be suitable for the person?

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

Gino Kenny: What does progress look like? If someone has problematic use of a substance, what does progress look like in getting to the gold standard, the gold medal as such?

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

Gino Kenny: Would the drug treatment court deal with a cohort of people who may not necessarily use cannabis every day but will use it frequently in the course of a week?

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

Gino Kenny: The citizens' assembly made recommendations on diversion. If somebody uses drugs but their use is not problematic, it is a waste of State resources to tell them they have a problem, even though they may not have a problem. There are lots of people who use drugs but do not have a problem with substance use. We need to have a further debate on drug abuse and drug use. If people want to use...

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

Gino Kenny: That is a good point. We will move on to the next round of questions. Does Deputy Stanton wish to make a contribution?

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

Gino Kenny: Our next speaker is Deputy Ward.

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)

Gino Kenny: I will stop the Deputy there. We are not getting into a slagging match. If there are questions to be asked-----