Representing Communities

Citywide carries out a representative role on a number of networks, national committees and advisory bodies. We aim to represent the views and experiences of the community sector, based on information gathered through the Citywide networks. Listed below are some of the committees where we currently represent community interests:

Drugs Advisory Group - Office of the Minister of Drugs

The Oversight Forum on Drugs (OFD)

National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD)

Prisons Liaison Group

National Substance Misuse Strategy Group

The National Drug Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC)

Links with Voluntary Organisations

Drugs Advisory Group - Office of the Minister of Drugs

Responsibilities:

• National Co-ordination
• Policy Development
• Supporting work of drugs task forces
• Supporting the community & voluntary sectors
• Coordinating Ireland's input to the EU, UN and other international fora regarding drugs issues

Drugs Advisory Group of the OMD, comprising representatives of the statutory, voluntary and community sectors, to advise the Minister on operational and policy matters relating to the NDS. The community Sector is represented on this group by Daithi Doolan and Ger Kirby

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The Oversight Forum on Drugs (OFD)

Fergus McCabe is the Community Rep on the Oversight Forum on Drugs (OFD), which is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Its primary role is the high-level monitoring of progress being achieved across the strategy and agreeing appropriate ways forward where issues are blocked or progress is being impeded. It will also provide a forum for discussion and feedback on issues relating to problem drug use that arise in EU and international arenas.

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National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD)

The goal of the NACD is to advise the government on problem drug use in Ireland in relation to prevalence, prevention, consequences and treatment, based on analysis and interpretation of research findings. Members of the NACD serve at the invitation of the Minister and have been drawn from statutory, community, voluntary and academic research sectors, together with senior level representation from the relevant government departments.

The community sector is represented on the NACD through Citywide and the two representatives are Liam O'Brien of CARP Tallaght and Declan Byrne of KCCP Kilbarrack. Both reps attend the full NACD meetings (approx 8 per year) and are also involved on the sub-committees- Treatment, Consequences, Prevalence and Prevention. If you would like more general information on the work of the NACD, please go to their website. If there are any points or queries you would like to raise with the community sector reps, please contact Citywide.

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Prisons Liaison Group

The setting up of the Prisons Liaison Group was included as an action in the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 . The role of the Group is to facilitate and develop better communication and partnership between those working within the prison and the community/voluntary groups outside the prison. The long-term aim is to have an effective through-care system, where people can move between prison services and community/voluntary services on a planned basis.

The Liaison Group meets four times a year and is attended by a range of staff from different disciplines working within the prison and representatives from community/voluntary groups. Attendance is open to any community groups who are working with people who experience imprisonment. The meetings provide a forum for exchange of information and to raise any practical issues that may be affecting liaison between prisons and outside. The meetings do not deal with issues of broader policy in relation to the prisons. Daithi Doolan anchors this group for the community sector. For further details, contact Citywide.

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National Substance Misuse Strategy Group

A steering group has been established to develop proposals for the overall substance misuse strategy, which will incorporate the already agreed drugs policy element. The combined strategy will facilitate a more coherent approach to the issues and consequences of alcohol and illicit drug use including addictive behaviours. The group will be asked to report by the end of 2010. Fergus McCabe represents the community sector on this group. For further details contact Citywide

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The National Drug Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC)

Rehabilitation has become the fifth pillar of the National Drugs Strategy. The Working Group set up to develop an integrated rehabilitation provision has issued its report on the appropriate policy and actions which need to be implemented. You can download the report here. The committee to oversee the implementation of the Rehab Report is the National Drug Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC). The NDRIC is made up of representatives of the Health Service Executive (HSE), the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD), the community and voluntary sectors, rehabilitation and health-care professionals, problem drug users and families of problem drug users. Joan Byrne from the Saol Project and Teresa Weafer from RDRD represent the community sector on this committee.

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Links with Voluntary Organisations

Citywide has formal links with two key voluntary organisations, Merchants Quay Ireland, (http://www.mqi.ie/), and Dublin Aids Alliance, (http://www.dublinaidsalliance.com/)