Results 401-420 of 1,087,085 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Michael Moynihan OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Ivana Bacik)

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

Thomas Gould: My question was on the average length of time in the system. Ms Foley said it is about 24 months.

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

Thomas Gould: My next question is for all the guests. Are there supports to prevent staff turnover and burnout in their services? Have they experience of these problems? What could we do to keep staff? When we lose staff, we lose expertise, including that of people on the front line doing very critical work. Have the guests a comment to make on that?

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

Thomas Gould: I do not mean my last question to be political but it has to be. The budget was announced last week and we are here today to consider the recommendations of the citizens’ assembly. Do the witnesses feel the budget will provide the funding needed to deliver what was recommended by the assembly?

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

Thomas Gould: It is probably unfair to ask the question. There was not a single word about addiction in the budget. There are citizens’ assembly recommendations and we are now trying to introduce a policy, having listened to those present and many other groups, but I do not believe there is the will in certain parts of the Government and the Department, to be realistic. We have been talking about...

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

Thomas Gould: I have to go back to the Chamber. In case the witnesses are not here when I come back, I thank them for their attendance. I apologise that I have had to be in and out of meetings and the Chamber.

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.

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

Mark Ward: Our position was misconstrued and not given correctly. I want to put the record straight.

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

Mark Ward: There was a statement made that there was nothing at the Sinn Féin Ard-Fheis in respect of decriminalisation. I point out to Senator Ruane that we had a very comprehensive motion at the Ard-Fheis, motion No. 94 - I wrote the motion so I know it - that accepts all the recommendations of the citizens' assembly, including decriminalisation of drug use. Senator Ruane referred to people...

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

Mark Ward: There is an argument that not everybody found in simple possession needs to go through a health-led approach. They may be using drugs recreationally and may not have any other problems, in the same way that people use alcohol at the weekends. Is it a waste of resources to direct people in that cohort to a health-led approach? That seems to be the conversation at the moment, that everybody...

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

Mark Ward: That is fine. I thank Ms Brennan.

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

Thomas Gould: I am sorry Chair, I would like to apologise. As I said earlier, I had to pop out as I was speaking in the Chamber. I would like to make a comment.

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

Thomas Gould: I just want to put on the record that I would like to make a statement. The Chair has said that comments will be taken in private session. I accept that as the Deputy is the Chair of the meeting. However, as the party spokesman on addiction, recovery and well-being and as a member of the committee, I wanted to comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: Apologies have been received from Deputies Tully and Feighan and Sorcha Eastwood MP, Dáire Hughes MP and John Finucane MP. On behalf of the committee, I welcome our guests to our meeting today: Ms Andrée Murphy, deputy director of Relatives for Justice; Ms Orla O'Connor, director, Ms Kate Mitchell, head of development and policy, and Ms Rachel Coyle, head of campaigns and policy,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: The addresses from the witnesses were very powerful. I thank them for the hard work they have been doing in reaching out to people in their communities. I have been very impressed in particular by what the witnesses collectively say about the need for consent and representation - gender and otherwise. If we are to build a new Ireland, the issue that goes to the heart of the matter is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Cathaoirleach very much. Like him, I welcome the witnesses. I also wish to say how powerful the presentations were. I compliment all of the witnesses in that regard. I do not think any of us disagree with any element of the contributions they made. I listened to Ms O'Connor recently at a meeting of the North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association, as did the Cathaoirleach and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: If the witnesses wish, they may reply to any of those comments at any stage. Senator Black has another function she needs to go to and asked if I could give her the Fine Gael space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: There is a huge outbreak of racism. It starts in the political domain. They are using coded words and gathering negative momentum and causing strife and trouble. We are in a different Ireland now. The potential for negative outcomes is growing, certainly visibly on the streets and in our political discourse. We need to deal with it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Brendan Smith: Safe Ireland is the umbrella body dealing with different groups that provide services for victims of domestic abuse. Is there good collaboration on an all-Ireland basis between the relevant statutory agencies, North and South? Ms Mitchell mentioned the cross-Border dimension to all of this, whether it is accessing services or the perpetrators of violence leaving one jurisdiction and being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Women and Constitutional Change: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Oct 2024)

Brendan Smith: Sharing of information is not a big draw on resources. I hope there is the relevant sharing of information between the agencies.