We were deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of John Bennett, Coordinator of the Finglas Cabra Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force (LDATF). John was a good friend to the HRB. In 2014, he presented the findings of the first two reports in the HRB’s Drug and Alcohol Review series and was involved in several other research and knowledge transfer projects. John was very respectful of the scientific aspect of drug response work but brought an extraordinarily broad frame of learning to his understanding of the topic. He was intellectually voracious and was as likely to refer to a work of literature, art or music as a journal article or report. He was serious, determined and committed to the interests of those who needed the services he managed. He also was very good fun, great company, and a curious and cultured man.

We asked some colleagues from the LDATF Coordinators' Network to share their memories of him. They kindly prepared the tribute below.

John was a longstanding stalwart of the LDATF Coordinators’ Network and chaired it for the past four years. We remember the full and enthusiastic vigour he brought to our many discussions. We were never in doubt that he liked a debate! We knew that he would represent us at the various national bodies he sat on with 100 per cent commitment and bravery. We remember his generosity to new members, and the follow-up phone calls he made to each of us to check in with us after different events or discussions. John never took the easy conversations or allowed things to slide. He was always willing to explore conversations and put his point or the opposing point across.

We were all amazed by John’s breadth of knowledge on a range of subjects and the fact that this was based on his own experiences. So, for example, if you mentioned that it must be tricky at the top of Mont Blanc, he would tell you the snow was up to his waist when he was up there. If you mused on what it must have been like to see the Clash in their early gigs, he would tell you about the time he saw them in Dublin in 1978. If you raved about Liverpool’s win in the Champion’s League final in Istanbul in 2005, he would tell you about the atmosphere in the stadium that night.

John spoke at the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use in June of this year and shared how the drugs issue had affected his own family. None of us were in any doubt that the empathy he brought to his role and the respect he showed people who use drugs and their families and the communities of Finglas/Cabra were deeply felt and rich.

Most recently, John’s commitment to the development of our network and that of the LDATF Chairperson’s network could be seen through his diligent coordination of the LDATF Conference, held in the Department of Health in May. Following on from that, he made a crucial contribution to the development of the LDATF Pre-Budget Submission 2024. There will be a large and unfillable hole in our network from now on. We will miss John terribly, but somehow we will always feel his presence with us.

John's colleagues from the Regional DATF Network remember him as a passionate man who was not afraid to challenge the system for the greater good. He cared deeply about disadvantaged communities and was a great advocate and voice for those who sometimes don’t get heard. He was a great storyteller and although he never shied away from a good debate, he would be the first to go for a cuppa and a laugh straight afterwards. He was a brave and vibrant man who will be sadly missed by us all.

We join with his colleagues in these networks and the wider drug and alcohol task force in extending our deepest condolences to John’s children, Ailbhe and Sam, and the entire Bennett family.