25th September 2023 – The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use will hold its fifth and penultimate meeting this weekend, Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October, in The Grand Hotel, Malahide.
Focussing primarily on drugs prevention strategies and practice, the meeting will be the final opportunity for members to discuss the substantive issues under consideration prior to voting on recommendations at the sixth and final Assembly meeting at the end of October.
A range of speakers including Chief Medical Officer Prof. Breda Smyth, former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin, and social justice campaigner Fr Peter McVerry, will share their perspectives on drugs prevention ranging from early childhood education to tertiary prevention initiatives. Sunday’s session will also include presentations on health-led recovery, governance, and funding options.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s meeting, the Chairman of the Assembly, Paul Reid, highlighted the extensive work that has been done to date, and said he looked forward to this weekend’s further discussions before next month’s meeting to agree recommendations.
Mr Reid commented, “In just under six months the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use has covered a wide range of topics, heard from many different voices and perspectives, and received almost 800 submissions from the public regarding the issue of drugs use. This weekend’s meeting will round-off those discussions with a focus on prevention measures that are crucial in how we approach the issue of limiting the harm caused by drugs.
“Drugs use is a complex issue. Prevention is therefore a crucial part on how we approach the entire issue and it is important that members have the opportunity to hear from all those working in the area including policymakers, academics, service providers and prevention specialists.
“Following this meeting, members will begin to agree the final ballot paper that they will be asked to vote on at our next and concluding meeting at the end of October. Thise recommendations will be the substance of the final report that the Assembly will present to Government and the Oireachtas by the end of the year.
“I look forward to this weekend and wish to thank all members and speakers for their participation in what is extremely vital and important work.”
ENDS
For more info contact Q4 Public Relations, Lorna Gardiner 086 076 1374 lorna@q4pr.ie / Sabrina D’Angelo 086 032 3397 sabrina@q4pr.ie
The draft running order for the meeting is: *
Day 1: Saturday 30 September 2023
| 08:00 –09:00 | Registration (off-camera) | ||
| 08:00 – 08:45 | Registration | ||
| 08:45 – 09:00 | Members take seats at assigned tables. | ||
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Opening Session | ||
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Opening remarks
Paul Reid, Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly |
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| 09:05 – 09:15 | Orientation
Cathal O’Regan, Secretary |
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| 09:15 – 11:00 | Session 1 – Perspectives on prevention (Part I) (livestreamed) | ||
| 09:15 – 09:27 | An EU perspective on prevention
Gregor Burkhart, Principal scientific analyst (Prevention), EMCDDA |
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| 09:27 – 09:42 | A strategic national perspective
Karen O’Connor and Richie Stafford, Drugs Policy and Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Health |
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| 09:42 – 09:52 | A perspective from the Education sector
Celeste O’Callaghan, Curriculum and Assessment Unit, Department of Education |
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| 09:52 – 10:02 | A perspective from the third level sector
Dr. Michael Byrne, Head of Student Health Services, UCC |
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| 10:02 – 10:10 | Roundtable identification of questions | ||
| 10:10 – 10:35 | Q&A | ||
| 10:35 – 11:00 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 11:00 – 11:15 | Break | ||
| 11:15 – 13:00 | Session 2 – Perspectives on prevention (Part II) (livestreamed) | ||
| 11:15 – 11:25 | A public health perspective
Prof. Breda Smyth, Chief Medical Officer |
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| 11:25 – 11:35 | Research and evaluation
Prof. Catherine Comiskey, Professor in Healthcare Modelling and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin |
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| 11:35 – 11:45 | Building Prevention Capital
Prof. Mary Cannon, Beaumont Hospital and RCSI |
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| 11:45 – 11:55 | Drug Driving
Prof. Denis Cusack, Director, Medical Bureau of Road Safety |
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| 11:55 – 12:05 | Roundtable identification of questions | ||
| 12:05 – 12:35 | Q&A | ||
| 12:35 – 13:00 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch | ||
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14:00 – 15:30 |
Session 3 – Perspectives on prevention (Part III) (livestreamed) | ||
| 14:00 – 14:10 | A personal and professional perspective on Dual Diagnosis
Roger Mehta, Addiction Counsellor and Psychotherapist |
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| 14:10 – 14:20 | Restorative Justice and drugs-related offences
Dr. Ian Marder, Assistant Professor in Criminology School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University |
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| 14:20 – 14:30 | The Cork Courts Referral Programme
Judge Olann Kelleher, Joe Kirby (HSE), and Declan O’Riordan (Coolmine) |
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| 14:30 – 14:40 | Health Diversion and the SAOR model of brief intervention
Nicola Corrigan, HSE National Social Inclusion Office |
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| 14:40 – 15:05 | Q&A | ||
| 15:05 – 15:30 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Break | ||
| 15:45 – 17:20 | Session 4 – Perspectives on prevention (Part IV) (livestreamed) | ||
| 15:45 – 15:55 | Prevention with vulnerable groups
Fr. Peter McVerry |
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| 15:55 – 16:05 | The social and economic complexities of prevention
Andy O’Hara, UISCE |
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| 16:05 – 16:15 | Social Protection and Employment schemes
Fiona Ward, Department of Social Protection |
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| 16:15 – 16:25 | Case Study: The North East Inner City Initiative
Jim Gavin, Chair of the NEIC |
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| 16:25 – 16:50 | Q&A | ||
| 16:50 – 17:20 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 17:20 | Chair’s closing remarks (livestreamed) | ||
| 17:20 – 17:25 | Chair’s closing comments | ||
| 17:25 – 19:00 | Private time for members | ||
| 19:00 – 21:30 | Dinner | ||
| 19:00 – 19:30 | Pre-dinner reception | ||
| 19:30 – 21:30 | Dinner | ||
Day 2: Sunday 01 October 2023
| 09:00 – 10:50 | Session 5 – Resilience and Wellbeing (livestreamed) | ||
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Professor Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth & Civic Engagement, University of Galway | ||
| 09:10 – 09:20 | Peer-based recovery and talk therapy.
Andy R and Sean H, Narcotics Anonymous members |
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| 09:20 – 09:30 | A Social Care perspective on supporting families
Laura Dunleavy, Kinship Care Ireland |
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| 09:30 – 09:40 | Maintaining recovery and well-being
Aubrey McCarthy, Co-founder and Chairman, Tiglin |
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| 09:40 – 10:15 | Q&A | ||
| 10:15 – 10:50 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 10:50 – 11:05 | Coffee Break | ||
| 11:05 – 12:50 | Session 6 – Perspectives on Governance and Funding (livestreamed) | ||
| 11:05 – 11:15 | Funding and Governance
Jim Walsh, Department of Health |
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| 11:15 – 11:22 | Strategic Research
Brian Galvin, Health Research Board |
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| 11:22 – 11:29 | Considerations for the next national strategy
Dr. Peter Kelly, Assistant Professor School of Nursing and Midwifery TCD |
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| 11:29 – 11:36 | Considerations for the next national strategy
Joe O’Neill, Chair of the Western Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force |
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| 11:36 – 11:45 | Implementation and Governance options
Dr Orlaigh Quinn, retired senior Civil Servant |
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| 11:45 – 11:55 | Roundtable identification of questions | ||
| 11:55 – 12:20 | Q&A | ||
| 12:20 – 12:50 | Roundtable discussions | ||
| 12:50 – 13:20 | Closing Session (livestreamed) | ||
| 12:50 – 13:02 | Case Study:
Clondalkin Drug and Alcohol Task Force Prevention Model |
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| 13:02 – 13:07 | Chair’s closing remarks (livestreamed) | ||
| 13:07 – 13:09 | Housekeeping (off-camera) | ||
| 13:09 – 13:20 | Post-meeting evaluation (off-camera) | ||
| 13:20 | Lunch | ||
* Updated at 12:51 28 September, 2023
