Meetings
Citizens' Assembly on
Drugs Use
The fifth meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use
(30 September -1 October) [Agenda]
……
Saturday 30 September 2023 at the Grand Hotel, Malahide
09:00 – 09:05 Opening remarks
Paul Reid, Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly
09:05 – 09:15 Orientation
Cathal O’Regan, Secretary
[presentation]
09:15 – 11:00 Session 1 – Perspectives on prevention (Part I)
09:15 – 09:27 An EU perspective on prevention
Gregor Burkhart, Principal scientific analyst (Prevention), EMCDDA
[presentation]
09:27 – 09:42 A strategic national perspective
Karen O’Connor and Richie Stafford, Drugs Policy and Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Health [presentation]
09:42 – 09:52 A perspective from the Education sector
Celeste O’Callaghan, Curriculum and Assessment Unit, Department of Education [presentation]
09:52 – 10:02 A perspective from the third level sector
Dr. Michael Byrne, Head of Student Health Services, UCC [presentation]
10:02 – 10:10 Roundtable identification of questions
10:10 – 10:35 Q&A
10:35 – 11:00 Roundtable discussions
……
11:15 – 13:00 Session 2 – Perspectives on prevention (Part II)
11:15 – 11:25 A public health perspective
Prof. Breda Smyth, Chief Medical Officer [presentation]
11:25 – 11:35 Research and evaluation
Prof. Catherine Comiskey, Professor in Healthcare Modelling and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin
[presentation]
11:35 – 11:45 Building Prevention Capital
Prof. Mary Cannon, Beaumont Hospital and RCSI [presentation]
11:45 – 11:55 Drug Driving
Prof. Denis Cusack, Director, Medical Bureau of Road Safety [presentation]
11:55 – 12:05 Roundtable identification of questions
12:05 – 12:35 Q&A
12:35 – 13:00 Roundtable discussions
……
14:00 – 15:30 Session 3 – Perspectives on prevention (Part III)
14:00 – 14:10 A personal and professional perspective on Dual Diagnosis
Roger Mehta, Addiction Counsellor and Psychotherapist [presentation]
14:10 – 14:20 Restorative Justice and drugs-related offences
Dr. Ian Marder, Assistant Professor in Criminology
School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University [presentation]
14:20 – 14:30 The Cork Courts Referral Programme
Judge Olann Kelleher, Joe Kirby (HSE), and Declan O’Riordan (Coolmine)
14:30 – 14:40 Health Diversion and the SAOR model of brief intervention
Nicola Corrigan, HSE National Social Inclusion Office [presentation]
14:40 – 15:05 Q&A
15:05 – 15:30 Roundtable discussions
……
15:45 – 17:20 Session 4 – Perspectives on prevention (Part IV)
15:45 – 15:55 Prevention with vulnerable groups
Fr. Peter McVerry
15:55 – 16:05 The social and economic complexities of prevention
Andy O’Hara, UISCE
[presentation]
16:05 – 16:15 Social Protection and Employment schemes
Fiona Ward, Department of Social Protection
[presentation]
16:15 – 16:25 Case Study: The North East Inner City Initiative
Jim Gavin, Chair of the NEIC [presentation]
16:20 – 16:50 – Q&A
16:50 – 17:20 Roundtable discussions
17:20 – 17:25 Chair’s closing comments
Sunday 01 October 2023 at the Grand Hotel, Malahide
……
09:00 – 10:50 Session 5 – Resilience and Wellbeing
Andy R and Sean H, Narcotics Anonymous members
[presentation]
Laura Dunleavy, Kinship Care Ireland
[presentation]
Aubrey McCarthy, Co-founder and Chairman, Tiglin
[presentation]
11:05 – 12:50 Session 6 – Perspectives on Governance and Funding
Jim Walsh, Department of Health
Dr. Peter Kelly, Assistant Professor School of Nursing and Midwifery TCD
[presentation]
Joe O’Neill, Chair of the Western Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force
[presentation]
Dr Orlaigh Quinn, retired senior Civil Servant
12:50 – 13:20 Closing Session
Clondalkin Drug and Alcohol Task Force Prevention Model
13:09 – 13:20 Post-meeting evaluation (off-camera)
