Results 481-500 of 1,124,060 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh07 OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh20) in 'Committee meetings'

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)

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)

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)

Neasa Hourigan: I never offered Ms Brennan my congratulations on her new role. I am very impressed she came to the committee straight after being appointed. I have a few questions on how our witnesses navigate assisting more vulnerable users, such as women and people from the Travelling community. Ms Foley may wish to respond on this. There has been a large increase in international persons in my area....

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

Neasa Hourigan: To be clear, the court has translation services set up that it can access?

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

Neasa Hourigan: It the standard Courts Service translation services.

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

Neasa Hourigan: We had some brilliant contributors last week who talked about the specific challenges women face when they find themselves in addiction, often around accessing services while having to deal with things like childcare. There is often a complicating factor in that they might themselves be the victim of domestic or sexual abuse or trauma from childhood, although that is not gender-specific. Is...

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

Neasa Hourigan: Who does it link in with on those issues?

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

Neasa Hourigan: What Mr. Duffin like to come in on that?

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

Neasa Hourigan: Yes. Not to put too fine a point on it but not only has the number of people on the streets increased, but they are often people who do not have English as their first language. I know from my area that, whether we like it or not, homeless services and other services are under increasing pressure.

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

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Deputy Ward has laid out Sinn Féin's support for all of the recommendations of the citizens' assembly. I do not know how many times I have spoken in the Dáil about decriminalisation, a health-led approach and the fact that the war on drugs, this farce we have all engaged with internationally, has not worked in any way, shape or form. What I was talking about was my absolute...

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

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Any point in respect of diversion-----

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

Ruairi Ó Murchú: It was two weeks ago that the Senator was rowing with me.

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

Ruairi Ó Murchú: I would like to point out that I believe the issue of drug debt intimidation has a very significant impact on communities. I believe that drug dealing and criminality has a very serious impact. I believe that people who should get-----