Meetings

The third meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use

(24-25 June) [Agenda]

……

Saturday 24 June 2023 at the Grand Hotel, Malahide

9:00 – 9:05 – Opening remarks
Paul Reid, Chairperson of the Citizens’ Assembly

09:05 – 09:15 – Recap and orientation
Video followed by presentation by Cathal O’Regan, Secretary [presentation]

09:15 – 11:00 Session 1 – Health-led approaches (livestreamed)

09:15 – 09:25 – Latest data on drug-induced and drug-related harms
Dr Suzi Lyons, Health Research Board [presentation]

09:25 – 09:35 – A Strategic Perspective: Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy
Jim Walsh, Principal Officer, Drugs Policy & Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Health [presentation]

09:35 – 09:45 – International Case Study: Portugal’s health-led approach
Nuno Capaz, General Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD), Portugal [no slides used]

09:45 – 09:55 – International Case Study: Austria’s health-led approach
Dr Alfred Uhl, Austrian National Public Health Institute and Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna [presentation]

09:55 – 10:30 – Questions and Answers session with panel

10:30 – 11:00 – Roundtable discussion (off camera)

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11:15 –13:00 – Session 2 – Strategic Service Delivery Partnerships (livestream)

11:15 – 11:25 – Health service provision
Prof. Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical Lead, Addiction Services [presentation]

11:25 – 11:39 – Drug and Alcohol Task Forces

11:39 – 11:46 – Voluntary and Community service providers
Dermot King, National Voluntary Drug and Alcohol Sector (NVDAS) [presentation]

11:46 – 11:53 – Case Study: Integrated community-based service providers
Tommy Gilson, Jobstown Assisting Drug Dependency (JADD) [presentation]

11:53 – 12:00 – Case Study: Integrated Service Delivery in Cork and Kerry
Joe Kirby, HSE Social Inclusion Manager Cork and Kerry [presentation]

12:00 – 12:30 – Questions and Answers session with panel

12:30 – 13:00 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)

……

14:00 –15:30 – Session 3 – Targeted Harm Reduction (livestreamed)

14:00 – 14:07 – Low-threshold services for people with complex needs
Tony Duffin, CEO, Ana Liffey Project [presentation]

14:07 – 14:14 – Targeted supports for women
Gary Broderick, CEO, SAOL (Women’s Recovery and Education Project) [presentation]

14:14 – 14:21 – Targeted supports for people who experience homelessness
Catherine Kenny, CEO, Dublin Simon Community [presentation]

14:21 – 14:28 – Harm reduction initiatives for the night-time economy
Nicki Killeen, HSE Social Inclusion Office [presentation]

14:28 – 15:00 – Questions and Answers session with panel

15:00 – 15:30 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)

15:30 – 15:45 Break, with musical interlude by SAOL Sisters Choir (off-camera)

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15:45 –17:30 – Session 4 – Treatment (livestreamed)

15:45 – 15:55 – Latest drug treatment data
Dr Anne Marie Carew, Health Research Board [presentation]

15:55 – 16:10 – Addiction and the Bio-Psycho-Social treatment model
Dr Sean Foy, Clinical Psychologist [presentation]

16:10 – 16:20 – Addiction treatment & supports for young people
Dr Gerry McCarney, Substance Abuse Service Specific to Youth (SASSY) [presentation]

16:20 – 16:30 – The role and experience of the Family GP
Dr Íde Delargy, Director of Addiction Management in Primary Care Programme, Irish College of General Practitioners [presentation]

16:30 – 17:00 – Questions and Answers session with panel

17:00 – 17:30 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)

Sunday 25 June 2023 at the Grand Hotel, Malahide

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09:00 – 10:45 – Session 5 – Supporting recovery from addiction (livestreamed)

09:00 – 09:15 – A systemic approach to recovery
Prof. Jo-Hanna Ivers [presentation]

09:15 – 09:45 – Moderated Panel Discussion with:
  • Noel Murphy, Soilse
  • Nicola Smith, Expert by Experience
  • Mick Devine, Addiction Treatment Centres of Ireland (ATCI)
  • Daniel Jones, Recovery Coach
  • Prof. Jo-Hanna Ivers

09:45 – 10:15 – Questions and Answers session with panel
10:15 – 10:45 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)
……

11:00 – 12:15 – Session 6 – Innovative supports for families and communities
(livestreamed)

11:00 – 11:30 – Moderated Panel Discussion with:
  • Anna Quigley, Citywide
  • Joe Slattery, Northstar Family Support Project, Limerick
  • Dr Austin O’Carroll, GP
  • Breda Fell, Family Support Networks
11:30 – 11:55 – Questions and Answers session with panel

11:55 – 12:15 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)
……

12:15 –13:00 – Synthesis Deliberations and Plenary Session

12:15 – 12:45 – Roundtable discussions (off-camera)
12:45 – 13:00 – Plenary session (livestreamed)
13:00 – 13:10 – Post-meeting evaluation
13:10 – 13:15 – Chair’s concluding remarks (livestreamed)