Results 701-720 of 1,071,352 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Micheál Martin)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am trying to keep the interaction to ten minutes. There may be an opportunity for people to come back in and follow up on points.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I have some questions. A question was asked about the make up of the drugs task force and the pillars that make up drug rehabilitation, education, health, justice, social protection, and child and family. We all accept it has been a fault line or a weakness in the system that those key players or people of influence are not around the table. If members agree, this is certainly one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: The past ten years. Not only that, people working in the front-line services have had no increase. Again, that is something that has recently been addressed. Another example would be community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7 where there are ten residential beds. They have run out of funding for that since September. What do they do for the next six months? Again, the balance is that has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Does Mr. Doherty get any sense of why it is the poor relation with regard to the drugs budget? He told the story about contact being at a low ebb and about simple things like meetings with the Minister that are not structured enough. It just does not seem to be that people get that there is a challenge out there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Mr. Doherty said that drugs are no longer sexy. I would argue that we have been in denial for decades regarding the challenge of drugs. Many of us thought that with the emergence of crack cocaine in communities, women being turned into prostitutes, people going into houses without a stick of furniture and children going hungry it would be a wake-up call. It is probably only certain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: In the task force meetings, a disproportionate amount of time is spent every meeting on funding. It is funding, funding, funding. We should be strategising and talking about the issues, not this idea of funding. There will be common agreement on the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, money. I read a report that stated the Garda recovered something like €20 million in cash alone. Why is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I do not think I have time. We are supposed to be finished by 11 o'clock. Can we perhaps focus on discussing with the Minister of State what has been raised this morning? We really appreciate the witnesses coming in. It was really useful. I apologise if anyone else was trying to get in. I thank the representatives from the local drugs and alcohol task force chairpersons' network for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: We can do that, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Okay. The meeting is now suspended. We will resume very shortly with the Minister of State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: The committee will now resume its consideration of issues facing local drug and alcohol task forces. I have received an apology from Senator Frances Black who has had to leave to introduce a Bill in the Seanad. I am pleased to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, who has responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy. He is accompanied, from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Deputy, can we-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I know you did not because no one has spoken. Can we finish up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Okay. Thank you. I am just conscious if we want to let everyone in, people will have to stick to the ten minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I have to bring an end to the Deputy’s questions. I will let the witnesses respond to one point, but I need to move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I call Deputy Hourigan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am over time. I am conscious that several members want to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I thank Senator Conway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: I cannot allow Deputy Kenny any more time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: The last group that was in here talked about drug task forces and the importance of decision-makers being around the table. This is an old chestnut. It goes back years. We are talking about the pillars of drug rehabilitation. Those that need to be there are education, health, justice, social protection, child and family, and probably others. At some stage, however, a decision was made...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: As regards the other areas, you speak about "a dynamic situation to which policy must adapt in a flexible manner". Respectfully, that does not happen. You mentioned the funding that came for the likes of the cocaine project in Tallaght, which was welcome. They are waiting now. They do not know whether there will be funding for next year; no one has told them. I mentioned the ten...