Group calls for national agency to fight drugs

A PRO ACTIVE National Drugs Agency representing a broad range of interests, including the communities hardest hit by the drugs crisis, is the main recommendation of a joint report published yesterday by SIPTU, the Dublin Council of Trade Unions (DCTU), and the Inner City Organisation Network (ICON).

The launch of Responding Together, by the Dublin CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign, took place in Liberty Hall. It was chaired by Mr Paul Clarke, assistant national officer with SIPTU and Mr Fergus McCabe, chairperson of ICON.

Mr Clarke said "if there is another Programme for Competitiveness and Work", it would have to have a section dealing with the drugs issue, based on the recommendations contained in Responding Together.

Mr McCabe said that setting up a suitable national structure would not solve the drugs crisis but if one was not established "then we haven't got a hope".

Voluntary and community groups must have an input at national, regional and local level in a coherent strategy, he said.

The involvement of SIPTU and the DCTU in the fight against drugs was welcomed and it was now hoped that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, other trade unions, and business and church groups would become involved.

"There is a huge amount of goodwill among people," Mr McCabe said. "I believe it would be rewarding politically for the Government to get on board with this".

The report makes a series of recommendations under the headings of health, justice and education, and says Government responses to date "have been piecemeal, disjointed, uncoordinated and grossly underfunded".

Referring to the recent beating to death of Mr Josie Dwyer, Mr McCabe said "tragedies are going to recur" unless proper national structures are set up.

Mr Mick Rafferty, of Community Technical Aid, said the launch was "a significant day for the poor people who are affected by the drugs crisis because at last these poor people have the trade union movement behind them".

Mr Clarke said SIPTU's involvement came about because "two brave people" had stood up at the union's biannual conference last October and spoken about how friends and relatives had died from drugs related illnesses. The delegates debated the issue and resolved to do something.

The report calls for improved communication between the Garda and the community "to try to repair the strained relations caused by the perceived misdirection of police resources chasing street traders and small time addict pushers while drugs barons roam free".

The Government and the leaders of all the political parties are to be sent copies of the report.