Results 721-740 of 1,046,098 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan)
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: I am sorry for cutting across the Minister of State, but language has been used today to the effect that the new drugs strategy will be a “refresh”, to use Ms Ardle’s word, of the existing strategy. I notice that we are steering very-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: It was said on that side of the room. We are steering very far away from the idea that we failed. We needed to hold a citizens’ assembly on the matter and the drugs committee sat for many sessions, yet we cannot sit here and say we have failed people in addiction. My next comment is not really aimed at the Minister of State, but more at the Department. When the citizens’...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: -----and a reframing of the existing drugs strategy. For the removal of doubt, the drugs strategy has failed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: It has failed and failed. We needed to have a citizens’ assembly to prove how much it has failed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: That is reasonable but, from that framing of it, do I take it that the only response the Department will provide to the drugs committee and those of us on the citizens’ assembly who engage with that process will be in the form of the new national drugs strategy? It will not be done recommendation by recommendation or as a direct response; it will be in the shape of a new strategy.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: I understand that. The Minister of State sounds very reasonable when he says that but major legislative questions were raised by the citizens’ assembly and the drugs committee that will not fit within the framework of the drugs strategy nationally. Moreover, if the drugs strategy is a refresh of an existing policy, that also will not serve the citizens’ assembly's findings.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: I want to move on to other questions. I understand the Minister of State’s point that some of it is policy. However, some of it is not policy and is very practical stuff around the regulation of drugs in a particular way, and I am not just talking about cannabis but about naloxone and products like that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: In what format will that be?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: What will be the role of the Department in contributing to that work?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: Is the Department doing work on that right now?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: When will we see that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: In our earlier session, the drugs task force said it felt that relationships between it and the Department were at the lowest ebb they have ever been. Will Mr. Walsh respond to that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: In the next iteration, we can perhaps work on that so the feeling is mutual.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: My time is ticking down so I will finish with two questions. A recent parliamentary question response states that the Department intends to commission an independent evaluation of the existing drugs strategy in quarter 4 of 2024, to be completed in 2025, and the witnesses have mentioned this a number of times. Is that commissioned and who has the Department commissioned to do it? Second,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: The tender is out at the moment but is not commissioned yet.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: Will that push out the quarter 1 target?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: The inspection piece came up a number of times.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)
Neasa Hourigan: Is Ms McArdle saying there are inspections?
- Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)
Mattie McGrath: I am extremely disappointed to hear the Minister of State read out another waffle from the Department. The Department is currently assessing the options. Just imagine that. I have a document here from December 2022, when the Department promised 12 modular classrooms to deal with the accommodation. In February 2023 the Department of Education changed it and listed five modular classrooms,...
- Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)
James Browne: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to outline the position of the school. The Department of Education continues to provide very significant funding in support of the education of children with special educational needs, which is a priority for this Government, with over a quarter of the entire education budget dedicated to special education in recent...