Chairman: At this meeting, the first of several, we will examine drug addiction and recovery models.

I welcome Professor Joe Barry, chair of population health medicine, Trinity College Dublin; Mr. Tom O'Brien, addiction services manager, Health Service Executive; and from Soilse Mr. Gerry McAleenan, head of services, and Ms Sonya Dillon, project worker.  

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the joint committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.  Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Mr. McAleenan to make his opening statement.

Mr. Gerry McAleenan: I thank the joint committee for giving us the opportunity of appearing before it to discuss the contents of a report entitled, Addiction Recovery: A Contagious Paradigm, that has been circulated. I will start by giving an overview of Soilse, the addiction rehabilitation service, from which the report came. I will then go through the main issues related to the report in a question and answer format.

[Click on this link to the Oireachtas website for the full discussion]