More calls for special drugs task force

NORTHSIDE politicians have added to calls for a special drugs task force to be set up in the capital.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Christy Burke, recently called for all organisations involved in tackling addiction and homelessness issues in Dublin city centre to band together to deal with the escalating drugs problem.

Northside Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) said his party was backing the Lord Mayor’s call.

“What Dublin needs is a cross community and cross departmental approach to ensure there is a co-ordinated policy across the city,

? Senator O’Brien told Northside People.

“Fianna Fáil is willing to work on this special task force and I am calling on all political parties to do the same.

“In my experience as chairman of the North Dublin Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, I know how successful a co-ordinated approach can be in tackling the scourge of drug abuse and related homelessness.

“We need to provide real solutions to people that are stuck in the spiral of alcohol, drugs and homelessness.

?

Senator O’Brien said instead of

“lofty statements

? from the Government, there needs to be tangible action.

“The first step in this would be the Government establishing the special task force, as called for by the Lord Mayor,

? he stated.

“The drug problems in Dublin city is starting to affect tourism and many people are wary of going into the centre of the city or to the boardwalk area around the quays.

“Unless there is a concerted effort and a cross party and cross community approach taken to the problem, I fear it will only escalate.

?

A spokesman for An Taoiseach’s office said the Government was acutely aware of the drugs problem in Dublin city.

“There are already targeted measures to address it,

? he told Northside People.

“Operation Spire provides for a targeted policing presence specifically on O’Connell Street at critical times to address anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and related crime through a robust regime of arrests, seizures, and by using anti-social behaviour warnings and orders.

“Operation Spire will continue for the forseeable future. Nationally, the problem of drug misuse is tackled in a coordinated and integrated way under the National Drugs Strategy.

?

The spokesman pointed out that in May, the Government approved a e29 million cross-departmental implementation plan to tackle homelessness.

“Included in this plan was e10 million to address the homeless problem specifically presenting in the Dublin city area,

? he stated.

“Progress has been achieved on many of the actions in the plan and homelessness was also discussed at the last meeting of the cross-departmental Cabinet Committee on Social Policy.

“The Government is committed to addressing the homelessness problem and to realising the goal set out in the Homelessness Policy Statement of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016.

?

Cllr Larry O’Toole (SF), who represents the Beaumont-Donaghmede Local Electoral Area (LEA), has been a member of the Dublin North East Drugs Task Force for 15 years.

Cllr O’Toole is calling for a broad approach to tackle the problem. He said this would include prevention and education; more rehab facilities for people to deal with their drug problems; and the gardai to be given more resources to deal with the issue.

Meanwhile, the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has also called for urgent action to address the escalating crisis of aggressive and often organised begging which has left tourists feeling unsafe as they tour Dublin city centre.

It said it was fully behind the Lord Mayor’s call for a task force to be made up of the relevant representative bodies.

The RAI said the issue of drug dealing and consumption in the city needs to be stamped out with a zero tolerance policy.

Chief executive of the RAI, Adrian Cummins, said:

“We are all aware that there has been a reduction in Garda numbers.

“This has increased the difficulty of policing our streets at a time when greater Garda visibility in the city centre is needed.

?