Results 721-740 of 1,061,132 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Alan Dillon)

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

Colm Burke: The final decision on any new strategy has to be taken by the Government. No matter who is in government, it will have to take into account the citizens’ assembly and what came from that, and also what came from the Oireachtas committee, which has produced an interim report. It is on that basis that the next Government will have to sign off on what the new policy will be. We have to...

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

Colm Burke: That is what the Department is doing. This is about drafting policy and about what we have learned from the past. We are doing an evaluation of the existing policy. Therefore, it is about learning from that evaluation and then seeing what is the best way forward in dealing with it.

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

Colm Burke: I never said it would be a rewrite. I am saying that the evaluation has to take place and the Government has to look at the report from the citizens’ assembly and also the interim report from the Oireachtas committee. The Department then has to work with whoever is in this portfolio but also with the new Government regarding the best way forward. Mr. Walsh may wish to add to that.

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

Colm Burke: Since I came in as Minister of State, I have visited many of the treatment centres around the country, from Bray to Waterford, Cork and Limerick - I think I have visited seven different places in Limerick alone - as well as the centres in Dublin. I am at a meeting once a month at the Merchant’s Quay project because I think it is an extremely important project. In that area, it is...

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

Colm Burke: The centres that I visited have a large and dedicated staff. They are all doing the programmes of care in a different way and they seem to have a different approach in each of the individual areas. One of the things that comes across is the dedication and commitment of staff in each of the centres that I visited, whether it is a day centre or a residential centre.

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

Colm Burke: The question of repealing that section or anything to do with legislation will be a matter for the new government. The decision to bring forward amending legislation will have to be an overall Government decision and will not be a decision within the Department. Obviously, we will not know that until the next government is formed. There is no point going into what will or will not happen....

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

Colm Burke: No matter what we do, we need to ensure that we continue on with the supports that are there for people who are addicted. An important point about alcohol addiction was made by one of the speakers before I came in. We also have the issue of dual diagnosis involving mental health issues and drug addiction. We need to put in place a range of measures to ensure we can adequately deal with the...

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

Colm Burke: One of the criticisms I have heard was that while Canada changed its legislation, it did not put adequate supports in place. There will be an increase in use if we change the legislation. The illegal drugs market will still remain in place. Many people think that any change in legislation will get rid of the illegal drugs market; it will not.

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

Colm Burke: All I am saying is that this is an issue for the next government to deal with. I cannot deal with it in the interim.

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

Colm Burke: In fairness, the supervised injection facility-----

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

Colm Burke: It is a positive step for people who are heroin users who will now have a facility where they have access to a range of services. I am trying to set up a day centre in Cork where many people are staying in facilities at night and find themselves on the street during the day with no place to go. We need to create a day centre. We also need to provide a range of supports in that day centre....

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

Colm Burke: Can I just point out-----

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

Colm Burke: That figure is actually not correct.

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

Colm Burke: One death is one death too many. The figures for this year have come down.

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

Colm Burke: We are not comparing like with like. Other European countries do not have the same mechanism for determining the cause of death. For instance, Scotland was not covered in that report. Even though that report covered 29 countries, only 21 countries actually had figures. One country that was not included was Scotland, where the number of deaths was over 1,200. I am not saying that we...

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

Colm Burke: With regard to Merchant's Quay, the target is to have the project opened by mid-December. It will then be under review for 18 months. There will be lessons from the review. It is important this is done to make sure people who are using the facility have access to the service to see what further work can be done with them with regard to helping them with the challenges they have health-wise.

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

Colm Burke: The information with regard to the location of the 422 facilities is on a map. With regard to where the shortfall is, I am not sure we have the answer.

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

Colm Burke: The issue now is the evaluation process and this is what we need to do next. Everyone accepts that drugs are available on every street in every area throughout the country, whether rural or urban. This is a challenge. Some people experiment with drugs, not realising they can get easily addicted. We come across people of all age groups becoming addicted, as Senator Conway has in his area....

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

Colm Burke: The process at Electric Picnic is about dealing with the issue where people have acquired drugs that may be dangerous. The idea is that we have a box where a person can drop in a sample that is analysed. If it is identified as being dangerous, the message is sent out through social media about a particular drug that may be circulating. The idea is to save lives and make sure somebody does...

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

Colm Burke: The samples are given anonymously. The whole idea is to make sure that if there is any dangerous substance being sold or made available, it is identified and the information gets out there for people not to take it. With regard to anything else, there is nothing more we can do at that stage.