Results 701-720 of 1,051,689 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Colm Burke)
- 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)
Colm Burke: I thank the committee for the opportunity to discuss the important public health topic of drug and alcohol use and the issues facing local drug and alcohol task forces. I am accompanied, from the Department of Health, by Ms Siobhán McArdle, assistant secretary, and Mr. Jim Walsh, principal officer. I am also joined by a colleague from the HSE national social inclusion office, Mr. Joe...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: I outlined that we had the citizens' assembly and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use. We are now talking about preparing a new report in 2025 and the task forces will play an important part in contributing to that. The existing policies were from 2017 to 2025. Therefore the new one will have to cover a five year programme and we have to hold a consultation to develop that new...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: If you take the way we responded to crack cocaine, for instance, take the south inner city drug and alcohol task force and its cocaine and crack cocaine research. There was a HSE-led initiative in order to reduce health-related hard from cocaine and crack cocaine in the south inner city area here in Dublin. Therefore, there was a response. This is the challenge now we have regarding...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: I gave the example of the south inner city area but there was also Tallaght. The Tallaght project is open seven days per week with 68 presentations per week. This deals with crack cocaine. This was the result of the Tallaght drug and alcohol task force working with the HSE to provide a response.
- 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)
Colm Burke: The actual funding for drug-related health expenditure has gone from 2020-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: I will give the Deputy the figures-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: Let me give the Deputy the response. The response shows funding has increased from €134.9 million up to €161.7 million in 2023. That is a 28% increase in funding.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: The Deputy is looking at the core funding for the task forces but there are different initiatives-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: I am giving you a response.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: Let me give you the response. In addition to the core funding the task forces are getting, they are also getting funding for additional projects they take on. It is not a case that they are getting less funding. It depends. For instance, taking the example I gave regarding Tallaght and the south inner city, there was additional funding for those projects to those task forces. It is not a...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Colm Burke: When you take into account-----