by Alan Jacques
LIMERICK Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan has called for action to ensure that a community-led approach to Drug and Alcohol Task Forces is maintained.
Speaking in reaction to the publication of the mid-term review of the National Drug Strategy: Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, Deputy Quinlivan urged Minister of State for Drugs, Frank Feighan, to action.
“The Drug Taskforces from across the State that I have spoken to have cautioned that the community led approach is being undermined — the community representatives are being removed from the decision-making process,” the Limerick politician claimed.
“In October 2019 all former drugs ministers united to call on the government to restore confidence in the National Drug Strategy. Funding for Drug Task Forces was cut in 2008 and has never returned to pre-2008 levels. In recent years cities such as Limerick have seen a sharp rise of drug misuse with the highly addictive crack cocaine prevalent.”
Quinlivan then addressed Taoiseach Micheál Martin in calling for a re-focus of the National Drug Task Force to ensure that the community groups remain central to the strategy.
“Drug misuse doesn’t just impact the drug user; it often impacts on their family and communities. In the mid-2000s the drug problem in Limerick was ignored. This cost us dearly. It cost the State resources and it cost people their lives. The failure to act then ultimately led to the need for a massive Government intervention — which ultimately led to the Limerick Regeneration programme. We simply cannot allow this to happen again.
“The local taskforce offers a resource that comes from the community and for the community and has taken great strides to remove the stigma of drug use and address the impact that such use has on the local community. That these community representatives are to be denied a voice in the direction of the drug strategy is misguided and contrary to the wishes of the community-based stakeholders. Any attempt to remove these activists’ input should and will be resisted,” he concluded.
