On 5 November 2008 the closure of the Harristown Residential Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centre, which is funded by the Probation Service and located in the grounds of Castlerea Prison, County Roscommon, was debated in Dáil Éireann. Closure had been recommended by the authors of a Review of adult probation residential centres, commissioned by the Probation Service.  The evaluators commented: ‘There is demand for an addiction treatment service for offenders and the evaluators recommend establishing a new service with a component to address offending behaviour linked to the most suitable addiction treatment model in the Harristown facility with a new strategic partner.’ www.probation.ie / www.oireachtas.ie

 

From 17 to 18 November 2008 the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN) held its annual conference in Paris. This year's theme was crime prevention in urban public spaces, focusing on three main areas: planning of public spaces, video protection and daily actions of public space management. The aim of the network is to facilitate the exchange of ideas on crime prevention issues between EU member states, including policies followed by member states, and initiatives taken by local and regional authorities and associations.

 

On 25 November 2008 substitution treatment was the subject of a Parliamentary Question in Dáil Éireann. Reporting on recent figures relating to the provision of methadone treatment in Ireland, Minister for Health Mary Harney TD stated that a feasibility study on the prescribing and dispensing of Subutex and Suboxone in certain specidiction clinics and in a selected number oity settings would commence shortly. 

 

On 2the Irish Defence Forces Compulsory Ran (CRDT) programme was the subject of a Parliamentary QuireanDefence Willie O’Dea TD reported that,me’s introduction in October 2002, 8,422 tests had been conducieult (0.4%). http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ was introduced its second reading. The Bill is intended to apply where a prison sensir penalty have been imposed, and then onlyber of years have elapsed without a further conviction. The pu tconvicted persons through facilitating theo the workforce and allowing them to build new careers. Followil Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Dights. On 6 January 2009 the EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009–2012 www.oireachtas.ie

 

On 12 January 2009 a campaign of action with regard to the National Drugs Strategy was agreed by over 150 activists and community representatives meeting in Dublin. Six key demands were identified:

1.    A Minister for the Drugs Strategy at the cabinet table (Super Junior)

2.    Immediate mandate to drugs task forces to develop new plans to meet local needs, and statutory agencies to be instructed to engage

3.    Guarantee YPFSF to remain targeted on drugs prevention

4.    Resources to be made available to implement the Rehabilitation Strategy

5.    Mandate and resources to task forces to begin developing response to alcohol

6.    Community policing fora to be established without delays

 

On 16 January 2009 the European Commission published the 818 submissions it received in its public consultation on future priorities, including illicit drugs, in the area of freedom, security and justice for 2010–2014, together with the results of a Eurobarometer survey on awareness of key policy issues in the same area. The Commission will use these inputs to inform its proposal for the next multi-annual programme in the area of freedom, security and justice to follow the Hague Programme in 2010. The Commission has posted all the public submissions and the results of the opinion survey on its website.

http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/news/consulting_public/news_consulting_0001_en.htm and http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_252_en.pdf

 

On 19 January 2009 the Children’s Rights Alliance, a coalition of 80 NGOs that work to secure the rights and needs of children in Ireland,published the first in what is expected to be an annual ‘report card’, Is the government keeping its promises to children? The report card analyses key commitments in the areas of education, health, material wellbeing, and safeguarding childhood. With regard to the protection of children from the negative consequences of alcohol use, it states that ‘a piecemeal approach is being taken, while the real problem is being ignored’. The Alliance calls for the implementation of the recommendations in the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol in relation to ‘protecting children’ and the introduction of a legislative ban to protect children from unnecessary exposure to alcohol marketing. www.childrensrights.ie

 

Meeting on 26–27 January 2009 the Pompidou Group’s Research Platform1 agreed to investigate the theoretical underpinnings for an integrated illicit drug and alcohol policy, and to publish later this year a synthesis of recent developments in psychological, biomedical and sociological research relevant to the drug problem.

 

(Compiled by Brigid Pike)

 

1. The Pompidou Group is a multidisciplinary co-operation forum to prevent drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs, set up in 1971 and incorporated into the Council of Europe in 1980. It comprises six platforms – prevention, treatment, research, ethics and airports. Ireland is one of 35 member states that participate in the Pompidou Group.