Home > Seanad Eireann debate. Order of Business [Safer Blanchardstown Think Before You Buy]

[Oireachtas] Seanad Eireann debate. Order of Business [Safer Blanchardstown Think Before You Buy]. (08 Nov 2017)

External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad...


…Senator Martin Conway: This morning, I had the great pleasure of launching a phenomenal community initiative on the part of the Blanchardstown drugs task force and the Safer Blanchardstown community organisation at the Gresham Hotel. The campaign, which is trying to make a start on dealing with recreational drugs, is called "Think Before You Buy" because buying drugs will harm someone and it is targeted primarily at the people in middle Ireland who go out on a Saturday night to dinner parties and decide, for whatever reason, to take recreational drugs. They are not the quintessential or traditional drug addict one sees from time to time. These are people in white collar and blue collar jobs who have families. They go out and, whether it is weed, hash or cocaine, they buy and take drugs. The consequences not just to their own health and lives but to society are enormous. The money they spend, whether they like it or not, funds organised crime and results in deaths in inner city Dublin and throughout the country. I commend the people in Blanchardstown on the initiative, which needs Government support and which should be rolled out across the country. They are doing their best on a shoestring budget. It would be worth bringing the Minister for Justice and Equality to the House to discuss how we deal with those in middle Ireland who are taking drugs on Saturday nights. In the Leader's own good time, perhaps this House could have a debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality on the issue.

 

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh:  Tréaslaím le Marty Walsh atá athtofa mar mhéara ar Bhostún. Tá muintir Chonamara, na Gaillimhe agus na hÉireann an-bhródúil as an éacht atá déanta aige agus as an bhfoireann ar fad a bhí ag obair leis. I congratulate Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston whose parents both come from Connemara. He is a proud Irishman, an Irish speaker and a man of the people and he was re-elected as mayor of Boston last night. It is a fantastic achievement. The reports on the campaign indicate that one of the biggest things he did was tackle the housing crisis in Boston. This created significant employment in recent years and provided affordable and social housing for those who needed it. He also did a great deal of work with people who have drug and alcohol addiction problems. It is fantastic to see him being re-elected…..

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