DOWDS AND CONAGHAN CALL FOR EXTENSION OF DRUGS COURT FOLLOWING SHOCKING U.N. REPORT
Issued : Friday 24 June, 2011
Labour TDs Robert Dowds and Michael Conaghan have called for the extension of the Drug Treatment Court Programme following the publication of a shocking UN report showing that Ireland has one of the highest levels of drug-related deaths in Europe. The World Drug Report 2011 shows that Ireland has twice the European average of drug related deaths and that while the prevalence of heroin abuse is falling in most of Europe, it appears to be on the rise here in Ireland.
The Dublin TDs have jointly called for the extension of the catchment area of the Drugs Court beyond its current catchment area of the north inner city. Robert Dowds said: "Over the past number of months, I have been working closely with groups tackling the drug problem in my own constituency, and this report seems to confirm what people on the ground have been telling me. It appears that rising levels of unemployment is contributing to increased levels of heroin abuse in the most deprived communities." "We need to be proactive in tackling this problem before it deteriorates to the situation that was seen some years ago. For that reason, I am calling on the Minister for Justice to move swiftly to expand the operational area of the Drug Treatment Court Programme beyond the north inner city of Dublin. The Drugs Court is a positive programme which gives drug addicts who have been convicted of a non-violent offence and who are seeking to straighten out their lives the opportunity to do so." "From meetings I have held with officials of the Drugs Court, I understand that there is significant capacity to take more individuals onto the programme without any significant cost to the state. The geographical restrictions placed on the court mean that it cannot take on individuals from outside of Dublin 1, Dublin 3 and parts of Dublin 7." Michael Conaghan said: “The recent UN report shows clearly how serious a drug problem there is in Ireland, with more than 100 drug-related deaths per million people, twice the European average. There is an enormous amount of work to do if we are to tackle this problem effectively. The Drugs Treatment Court Programme offers a real chance of rehabilitation to some people who have fallen into a life of drug addiction and crime, but it is currently undersubscribed because of geographical limitations. This programme can be extended to other areas, such as Dublin 10 and Dublin 22, at little extra cost, offering even more people this chance to escape the cycle of addiction, crime and imprisonment. "I hope that Minister Shatter will move swiftly to expand the operational area of the court and signal his intention to tackle this problem before the situation deteriorates further"
