I beg to move

That this Assembly notes with concern NISRA's 2024 report on 'Drug-related and drug misuse deaths', which found a significant increase in the number of deaths attributed to drugs and alcohol; further notes the intrinsic connection between social deprivation, poverty, isolation, mental health and addiction issues; acknowledges with concern the NISRA figures that show that drug-related deaths are highest among 25-34-year-olds, are five and a half times more likely in areas of highest deprivation and that opioids are consistently the most common form of drug listed as cause of death; and calls on the Minister of Health, in cooperation with the Executive's ministerial committee for public health, to urgently implement the provisions aimed at harm prevention, harm reduction and tackling addiction within the substance use strategy 2021-2031, including developing plans for a new residential rehabilitation unit in Belfast.

The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes in which to propose and 10 minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. As an amendment has been selected and published on the Marshalled List, the Business Committee has agreed that 15 minutes will be added to the total time for the debate. Please open the debate on the motion.

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

[Translation: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.]

It gives me no joy to bring forward this motion. It comes from a place of sadness and tragedy. For the past three years, I have worked with bereaved families from across the North, campaigning alongside them in the hope that we can secure additional resources to help people who are battling with addiction and to help to prevent or reduce harm, where possible. My time spent with those families has brought home the absolute devastation that drugs cause to families in all our communities. I doubt that any Members would struggle to think of a family whom they know personally, represent or have worked with who has not been, or is not, affected by the awful disease that is addiction. It costs our economy £1·5 billion a year. That figure alone makes a powerful argument for investing now to help people recover when they are battling with addiction. Investing in recovery can and will save people's lives. Again, I have no doubt that we have all heard many sad and heartbreaking stories from families who tried to get help for their loved ones before it was too late but failed.

The families with whom I have worked over the past number of years have told me that the reason that they failed in their desperate attempts to keep their loved one alive was the lack of available treatment options at that time of crisis. Families exhausted routes via their GP, via emergency departments and via community addiction teams. They made multiple attempts to find an appropriate and accessible wrap-around residential rehab unit that could have taken in their loved ones during that small, precious window of opportunity when they were crying out for the help that they needed.

I in no way underestimate the excellent work that services provide and the brilliant and dedicated staff who work in addiction services at community level, at trust level or in primary care. We know, however, that the number of deaths has doubled over the past 10 years. That tells us that something, somewhere is not working. Too many people are dying an unnecessary death. Addiction is a disease, not a choice. It tears families apart, and we should not leave those families to deal with the additional burden of not knowing where to turn or where to send their loved ones when battling with that illness.

We talk about harm reduction and harm prevention. An overdose prevention facility is needed in Belfast. Throughout Europe, overdose prevention facilities have been successful in managing the number of overdose deaths. Of course, the ideal scenario is that people do not inject drugs, but if they are going to inject, it makes more sense for them to do so where it is safe and where trained staff can help them, monitor them and work with them, and if the worst happens and people overdose, they can reverse it.

Rapid drug testing is another initiative that will save lives. The Minister is probably aware that a model is available through Queen's University at the minute. I know that budgets are tight and are squeezed, but if it were possible to get that model funded even for the first year in order to get it off the ground, its testing programme could provide a 24-hour turnaround that would confirm when dangerous or lethal drugs are in circulation on our streets. That would allow an alert system to kick in, similar to what happens in Dublin and parts of Britain. The Dublin model is used elsewhere. If we could introduce it here, in some form or at some level, it would save lives.

As the amendment implies, the issue requires Executive-wide support. During questions to the Minister of Justice yesterday, we heard about the pressure on our prison system. People who fall through gaps in the health system, in education and across society sadly end up in jail with poor mental health and addictions. In our schools, children are now at huge risk. It has been reported in the news recently that vapes mixed with spice have made their way into the school community. Parents have been put on alert by the PSNI, which is warning that, for young people, it is an immediate concern. Every Department must make interventions to help with those critical issues. As the motion states, there is an intrinsic connection between poverty, deprivation, and drug and alcohol addiction, and that will also require a strong response from the Department for Communities through anti-poverty interventions.

I understand that the issue is cross-departmental and that each Department has a huge responsibility to address it, but I hope that, from the health perspective, the Minister can respond positively to the motion and support the calls that are coming from families who are sadly at the other end of the problem, with their loved ones having already died. Their lives have already been lost to drugs. My hope is that their voices can be heard loud and clear during today's debate.

The Jack's Promise campaign group has invited parents, siblings and friends who have lost loved ones to a candle-lit vigil that has taken place in the past couple of years on the steps of Stormont, in the mouth of Christmas, to highlight the empty seat they have at their Christmas table because their loved one has died. The People's Kitchen held a poignant demonstration last summer, when it laid out 212 pairs of shoes along the steps of Stormont to mark each life that has been lost to an overdose in 2021.

I am really pleased that the Minister has agreed to meet some families this Thursday, which is a coincidence as we are debating the matter today. I know that the Minister will meet and directly engage with families this week, and his officials have intently engaged with some of the bereaved families, which they appreciate — I know because I have been at some of the meetings — and they will also appreciate the direct conversation with the Minister on Thursday. Outside of the meetings and the engagement, we need a firm commitment to deal with the rise in drug and alcohol deaths and to provide the resources to assist with doing that, and it is not an easy ask.

I will conclude by highlighting the calls from mothers in the Belfast area who attended the Stormont vigil a few months ago and who are making a direct plea for a rehabilitation unit in Belfast.

Chloe Lennon from West Belfast was 22 when she died from a drug overdose in November 2022. Her mother, Lorraine, told BBC News that her daughter had started taking drugs at the age of 13. She stated:

"She suffered trauma and took cannabis to deal with that. Then she started taking pregabalin, cocaine, heroin and strong alcohol. Her mental health went through the roof. She needed help in Belfast but there wasn't anything when she needed it."

It was heart-wrenching, her mother said, that, two weeks after Chloe died, she received an appointment for help. Mrs Lennon explained:

"One did come through, but they discharged her because she didn't attend. She didn't attend because she was already dead - it was too late."

Those are her mother's words: it was too late.

Lorraine Brennan's son, Jack, died from a drug overdose in 2021. She said that Jack needed help; he was crying out for help, but the services were not available. She stated that when he was brought to A&E:

"I begged the mental health team to keep him. He begged to be sectioned. But he was let home."

Jack was also from West Belfast. He had taken prescription drugs since he was 15 and, by the age of 21, was using heroin and suffered from mental health issues, alongside his drug use. Lorraine said:

"We as a family, want to prevent other families from losing a loved one to addiction and experiencing this painful grief and loss. We want to give our young people more hope and support when they need it."

The Jack's Promise petition was presented to the Assembly in 2021. It now has over 4,000 signatures. Sadly, Jack's experience is not an isolated one, and it is arguably one of the most common experiences that families are currently facing, not just in Belfast but in every area of the country.

I will end my remarks by reading one of Jack's poems. Jack, God love him, wrote it before he went into rehab in Liverpool. The poem is so heart-breaking, and it is called 'The Days of My Life':

"Surrounded by people yet all alone trapped within this darkening zone. A world where chaos and hate overtake any bit of happiness that tries to escape. Laughter and positive thoughts never seem to last, because I am haunted by my memories of the past. Running the distance with nowhere to go, these are the days of my life, a Broadway show. I scream out for help yet they never really hear, the demons of death are coming so near! Echoes in my head tormenting me all day long, breaking the man who was once whole and strong. What does serenity mean anyway? Is it the spring in my step or the words that I say. Suicide seems the answer, many times I’ve tried, happiness seems to be the tears that I have cried. Unable to distinguish what’s real from fiction. Hope is an illusion, an optimists prediction. I wonder what will it take to get me right, a visit from the devil on a lonely night? Angels prepare to battle and take a stand to remind me of their holy land. When I want to give up, they push for me to be strong, and in my head I hear their comforting song. Life is an illusion, a constant mind trick on me... who knows what my fate will be. Heaven and hell are both fair game, will I find peace or leave them with shame? Surrounded by people, yet all alone, trapped within this darkening zone".

I am sorry for going over time.

Thank you for those poignant remarks at the end.

I beg to move the following amendment:

Leave out all after "including" and insert; "plans to develop a residential rehabilitation service in a regionally strategic location; and further calls on the Executive to commit to providing appropriate subsequent resources in the 2024-25 Budget for the Department of Health."

Alan, you will have 10 minutes to propose and five minutes to make a winding-up speech. Other Members who are called to speak will have five minutes. Over to you, Alan.

Thank you. Mr Deputy Speaker. I commend the proposer of the motion for bringing forward such an important topic for discussion.

Alcohol and drug abuse can ruin families and sadly cost lives. I offer my deepest sympathies to all families who have sadly lost loved ones in such difficult circumstances. I cannot start to imagine the helplessness and grief experienced by families as they watch a close loved one succumb to the dreadful illness of uncontrolled addiction.

Unfortunately there is not a town, village or, indeed, corner of any of our constituencies that has escaped unscathed the ravages of drug abuse and addiction. As the motion rightly highlights, drug-related deaths are significantly more common in the areas of highest deprivation. That presents an even greater need for us, as MLAs, and all Ministers and stakeholders to ensure that we, collectively, do all we can to highlight and tackle the problem.

Of course, the dilemma with addiction and drug-related deaths is that the problem can be so large and multifaceted that it requires an all-encompassing response. No single reason or automatic change in circumstances leads to such challenges in one's life. Addiction and drug misuse is a society-wide problem, but some contributory factors are more common than others. Poverty and deprivation are certainly two, but there are many others such as mental health, family and personal circumstances and, even, more deep-rooted inequalities such as educational attainment and housing standards. There is, unfortunately, a particularly deep-rooted and interlinking connection between homelessness and drug misuse. However, overall, there are no specific causes, and thus addiction and, tragically, drug-related deaths can visit any home across Northern Ireland.

I am sure that the Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery substance use strategy will be referenced regularly during the debate, and so it should be. It goes without saying that we should all have a close interest and desire to see that strategy implemented. It is important to note that many of the underlying causes and harms arising from substance use cannot be tackled by one Minister or one Department. Thankfully, thinking back to the strategy's launch in 2021, I recall that it had Executive-wide support, and I suspect that it retains broad cross-party support to this day. Of course, whilst the substance use strategy is a very important document, it sits alongside other equally important pieces of work, such as the 10-year mental health strategy and Making Life Better, Northern Ireland's overarching framework for public health.

Nevertheless, whilst it is all fine and well to have well-intended strategies, as the Minister has often said, the true value of such documents and plans can be truly realised only through delivery and implementation. In that regard, I am glad that there appears to have been some good progress already. Particularly relevant to today's debate is the work on substance use services, which I was pleased to see moved to the next step earlier this year and which I look forward to hearing more about, not only later in the debate but in the weeks and months ahead.

That brings me to my amendment. Ultimately, whilst I suspect there is likely broad political unanimity on implementing the various plans relevant to the debate, we need to realise that, if we wish to see the full potential of the improvements and transformations on offer, it will cost money. The Executive must decide collectively whether the strategies that the previous Executive signed up to are still a priority and are still to be taken forward and funded as such. Whilst we can certainly never put a price on a life, we need to remember that sufficient upfront investment in substance use and mental health services can often save much more in the longer term. As Ministers meet in the coming days and weeks to thrash out the 2024-25 Budget, I hope that the real implications of the future viability of the various hugely important health strategies and plans remain to the fore of their minds.

Moving to the other key part of my amendment, I fully agree that it is important that we examine and enhance our existing inpatient treatment services. I hope that the review that is under way sets a clear and evidence-driven direction of travel. While I largely cannot fault any of the substantive motion, I had some concern about the reference to locating a new residential rehabilitation service in Belfast. Whilst I absolutely understand that there have been some particularly compelling calls for such a service in Belfast, there are calls for the service to be located somewhere else in Northern Ireland that are, perhaps, equally persuasive. I think in particular of the services that are on offer in the Northlands centre in Londonderry as an example. Of course, it is essential that the location of any new service is evidence-led and decided only after full and detailed consideration. That is why the tier 4 review that is under way is so important. Whilst my amendment removes the call for the service to be located in Belfast, that does not necessarily mean that it will not be; it will be located wherever it has the greatest impact and benefit.

I am happy to move today's amendment. Again, I thank the sponsors of this important motion. I end my remarks by offering my heartfelt sympathy to every family that has lost a loved one in such difficult circumstances.

As the previous Member did, I offer my sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. I thank the proposer of the motion for the beautiful poem, which describes the chaos and difficulties of someone caught in the trap of addiction.

I start by reflecting on the number of drug deaths in Northern Ireland and the fact that we have seen an explosion in those deaths over the past 10 or 15 years. We have seen a 98% increase in drug-related deaths since 2012. In 2022, there were 154 drug-related deaths, which represents a 40% increase from 2014. In 2022, the underlying causes of 82·5% of drug-related deaths were substances that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, with heroin and morphine being the most prevalent ones listed. Those statistics are taken from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) report that was recently released. In 2022, two thirds of those who suffered from drug-related deaths were men. That is a really sad reflection on society and the increasing use of drugs, but it would be remiss of us not to say today that we all support removing the scourge of drug dealers from our communities. They bring nothing but pain and death. It is incredibly important that we look at that.

The proposer of the motion rightly spent her time reflecting on some of the stories and the humanity behind drug misuse and addiction. I will look at some of the strategies and the wider areas that we, as policymakers, also need to look at and reflect on. Mr Chambers mentioned the Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery strategy, on which a report was published last month. In that most recent report, 33 actions — 58% — are currently set as green, so they are progressing as planned, which is good news in many ways. However, 24% are not and are set as amber, since they require the confirmation of additional funding.

Before the restoration of devolution, I attended a meeting with community groups whose funding has been cut. One issue that was cited was the fact that community groups that deal with drug addiction and the misuse of drugs have had a lot of their funding cut. We need to look at restoring that. I appreciate, Minister, and understand the difficulties. That is why I support the amendment, because that issue is very important.

We also need to look at how we prevent and tackle the issue by trying to get it at source before it becomes a huge problem. In 2020, the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report, 'Addiction Services in Northern Ireland', showed that the Department of Health spends £900 million each year on tackling drug and alcohol misuse but only a small budget is allocated to combating the issue: £8 million for implementing the drug and alcohol strategy and £8 million for statutory addiction services. I suggest that, if we are to prevent the huge amount of money that the health service spends on that very important issue, we need to get into the prevention space much more quickly and effectively.

Will the Member give way?

Yes, of course.

I fully agree with the Member. Does the Member agree that the early intervention piece is key to ensuring that, by investing early, in the long term, we save money for the health service?

The Member has an extra minute.

Thank you. I absolutely agree that it is totally key and extremely important.

To close, I will speak a little about dual diagnosis. That term is used to describe the concurrence of a mental health problem alongside substance misuse. It is a significant issue for the health service. Up to 70% of people in drug services and 86% in alcohol services also experience mental health problems. It is really important that we look at and deal with the issue of dual diagnosis. Many of those people are young. Between 64% and 88% of adolescents with substance misuse disorders have at least one co-existing mental health issue. Therefore —

I ask the Member to draw her remarks to a close, please.

Yes. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to go on.

We need greater coordination between the services, and I appeal for the Minister to look at that as well.

I support the motion and the amendment. I thank colleagues from Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party for bringing these important issues to the Assembly.

NISRA's 2024 report on drug-related and drug-misuse deaths makes for truly shocking reading. It is extremely concerning that there has been a 98% increase in deaths due to drug-related causes since 2012. It is also concerning that the majority of those deaths — 55·8% — were of individuals aged between 25 and 44. As the motion rightly states, opioids are consistently the most common form of drug listed as a cause of death, averaging 118 deaths a year between 2020 and 2022. By comparison, road deaths average around 54, which, obviously, is still far too high.

Like the proposer, I attended the vigils at Stormont and spoke to families who have lost a loved one. It can be easy to get lost in the statistics in debates such as this, but we should never forget that each drug- and alcohol-related death is the loss of an individual and a devastating loss for their families, friends and wider community. We must do everything that we can to tackle the harms around substance abuse. It is important that the Department of Health progresses the implementation of the 57 actions outlined in the substance use strategy.

With support, people can turn their lives around. We have seen that again and again. As has been noted by Members, tackling drug addiction and drug-related deaths is not solely a health issue, and a joined-up collaborative approach is required across the Executive to confront the root causes of drug addiction.

I thank the Member for giving way. Obviously, the statistics in the report are shocking, and it is right and proper to say, as the Member did, that we need action to be taken by more than just the Department of Health. Nominally — at least, in theory — we have a public health approach to alcohol- and drug-related deaths.

As a fellow member of the all-party group (APG) on reducing harm related to gambling, does the Member agree that we also need to seriously tackle addiction that is related to gambling and that that too needs to be included in any public health approach that the Department takes forward?

The Member has an extra minute.

Yes, absolutely, and, as someone who sits on the APG on reducing harm related to gambling, I have heard horrendous stories about the addictive nature of gambling, and, certainly, we have to address that as a public health issue.

The motion notes the:

"intrinsic connection between social deprivation, poverty, isolation, mental health and addiction issues", and many steps must be taken to confront each of those challenges. The absence of opportunities in many communities remains an issue for many young people, particularly in housing and employment, which exacerbates existing poverty and isolation. The greater prevalence of mental health problems in Northern Ireland, as Diane Dodds noted, compared with the rest of the UK, not least because of the legacy of the Troubles, reiterates the importance of the full implementation of the mental health strategy 2021-2031.

We are happy to support the amendment. It is important that plans for a residential rehabilitation service are outlined as soon as possible, especially in what constitutes a regionally strategic location. The service does not necessarily have to be in Belfast, as mentioned, but, as Belfast is the capital city and where most of those issues are prevalent, a location there may prove to be the most suitable and beneficial. We will await detailed proposals from the Department.

I want to touch on something that was initially absent from the motion but that was then mentioned by the Member who moved the motion, Órlaithí Flynn. That is the inclusion of an overdose prevention centre. Overdose prevention centres are safe and hygienic spaces where people are allowed to inject drugs under the supervision of professionally trained staff who can offer safe equipment and drug testing and who can respond immediately to any overdoses. An overdose is a medical emergency that can be treated primarily with naloxone. There are over 200 overdose prevention centres across 17 countries worldwide, and peer-reviewed research evidences that overdose prevention centres can prevent thousands of deaths, decrease the spread of disease and improve communities by reducing drug litter and by making drug use on our streets less visible. They can also save taxpayers' money through reduced emergency service use. The provision of the opioid reversal drug naloxone to users and their families has also been shown to save lives. I hope to see that progress too.

Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 prohibits overdose prevention centres, but, despite that, there are plans to open the UK's first sanctioned facility later this year in Scotland, following the experience of an unsanctioned overdose prevention centre in Glasgow in 2020-21. The Lord Advocate for Scotland has provided guidance for police, highlighting that it is not in the public interest to prosecute someone for using an overdose prevention centres. Last year, Belfast City Council voted to support a motion to set up an overdose prevention centre in the city, and I believe that the Assembly should now look at that. Doing so would complement the motion by providing a tried and proven method of saving lives and preventing drug-related deaths. We also need wider reform of drug policy and legislation, particularly the increasingly outdated Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, that is for Westminster, given that those are primarily reserved matters. In the Assembly, we must do all that we can to reduce harm, tackle addiction and prevent drug-related deaths. The provision of a regional rehabilitation centre and overdose prevention centre would be key steps forward.

Addiction is a plague in our society. It is the great equaliser. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, race or social status. The story of addiction is a human story; it is one of pain and struggle and one that I am sure all of us can relate to in some way or another. Sadly, like many here, I see the impact of addiction on an almost daily basis. For example, the bereaved parents whose lives have been shattered, the individuals in the throes of addiction who were maybe placed in emergency housing far from their family and support network and the young people who are at rock bottom, feeling that they have nowhere else to turn.

I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that it is important to recognise that drug addiction is a disease and that we should all respond to addiction with compassion, concern and empathy? For those battling addiction, it is important that we communicate this loudly: you are not alone in the struggle, and recovery and escape from drug addiction is a challenging journey, but it is one that can lead to hope, healing and transformation. Help and support are out there, free from the risk of prosecution. Stay strong, and know that there is hope for a brighter, healthier future.

The Member has another minute.

I thank the Member for his intervention. I concur entirely that compassion is key to healing and helping those who are fighting addiction.

Many of us see and feel the impacts of addiction much closer to home, and the escalation in numbers of affected people and severity of illness has been heartbreaking to bear witness to — there but for the grace of God go I. At the moment, far too many vulnerable people fall through the gaps between addiction support services. We are witnessing a frightening trajectory in the number of drug-related deaths, with 212 people having lost their life in the past year. Behind every statistic, as others have said, is a life cut short, dreams shattered and a family devastated. Each death is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action.

It is no coincidence that drug-related deaths have trebled in a decade. It is a direct result of Tory austerity and failed leadership. The failures of government exact the highest cost: the loss of life. Our post-pandemic landscape and the cost-of-living crisis have rubbed salt into the wounds, compounding pressures on broken lives. The motion neglects to mention — other Members, including the proposer of the motion, have mentioned it — the co-occurrence of addiction and mental health conditions and the need for a dual diagnosis approach. Both conditions remain a harrowing feature in the lives of so many here. That cycle can prove difficult to escape, especially for those who suffer socio-economic disadvantage.

Those who are brave enough to seek support often find themselves forced to be led from pillar to post in their efforts to find meaningful and appropriate services and support. From housing to health services, it seems to have become, at times, a case of "pass the problem". That is about failing to see the son, the daughter, the parent, the brother or the sister struggling to stay afloat in a world that has become so unbearable. That is not to criticise staff of any of the organisations. They, too, are working in a challenging environment, unequipped to deal with the complexities and volume of people who present.

I am acutely aware that addiction is a complex issue. A range of factors leads people down that cruel path. Once on it, many individuals are pushed even further to the margins of society by a system that is stacked against them. The increased risk of homelessness and the situation around temporary accommodation that I mentioned really need to be addressed. At present, very vulnerable people are placed outside their home towns, away from family, friends and access to their GP. That marked isolation leaves people at risk of abuse, neglect and further exploitation by drug dealers — death dealers — who peddle misery with no care about consequences and little fear of punishment. We need tougher sentences for those dealers. I commend my constituent Pauline Duddy, who has channelled her grief at the loss of her lovely daughter Jasmin into a courageous campaign for tougher sentencing.

Collaborative work involving Departments, the police, the public and local organisations is the only way to achieve tangible results for people who are suffering. I place on record my gratitude for the invaluable work of organisations across the North but particularly in my constituency, including ARC Fitness, Northlands and Hurt, which are shining examples of the approach that we need to tackle the crisis head-on. First and foremost, it is about treating people with compassion. While we welcome plans for a new, regionally significant rehabilitation unit, it is imperative that the Executive and the British Government deliver on their commitments to provide adequate addiction funding and facilities for the north-west in order to prevent further loss of life and more lost lives. More broken promises are the last thing that people need.

I call Carál Ní Chuilín.

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

[Translation: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.]

I just want to put on record my thanks to you for swapping our chairing duties so that I could speak on this very important issue today. I also thank Órlaithí and Alan for moving the motion and the amendment.

When we are talking about mental health and addiction, the whole issue of dual diagnosis comes up every single time. Like many others, I have worked with health and social care professionals, in hospital settings and within the community, who have said that they are frustrated and that they want to try to help people, but there is still a lack of understanding about what dual diagnosis is. Diane Dodds explained it by saying that someone comes forward for help and they are under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both, and trying to help someone in those circumstances needs specialism and proper training. One thing that everybody has in abundance is care and compassion, so that needs to be put on the record.

All Members who have spoken have raised the issue that drug dealers are death dealers. I do not care what organisation they were or are affiliated with: they are armed gangs who peddle misery and kill kids, and that is it. Sin é.

[Translation: That is it.]

That is what they do, and I do not think that anyone is under any other illusion about what they are, because that is what they do.

I had and have the privilege — I am sure that we all do — of working with a lot of really compassionate people who go above and beyond. For example, they go into Belfast city centre — you know: this out of sight, out of mind — and talk to addicts on the street. They try to work with their families. They give them food and clothes, and they also help them with benefits. I visited the People's Kitchen when this place was recently restored, and the families there would have broken your heart.

The NISRA report is very helpful, but for me, as someone living in one of the most deprived constituencies, I could almost — I am sure that we do — put together a list of things that people are going to be affected by: poverty, ill health, poor mental health, poor housing, poor educational outcomes and the rest. They are very resilient people and very proud people, but I have seen the journey that people have been on. Unfortunately, a lot of us have gone to wakes after family members have died because they "loved a wee drink" or because they "had a wee problem". Now people are saying that he or she "was an addict", and they are saying that because the rest of the community knows exactly what it means.

The other aspect — I would say that we all have experienced this — is that I have sat looking at really elderly constituents who are paying off debts to drug dealers on behalf of their grandkids. They are going to credit unions and going everywhere because they do not want their grandkids getting hurt. For me, that is an absolute disgrace, because the grandparents of the people who are coming to their doors know the grandparents whom they are squeezing. They all know each other's families and they really do not care, but we care, and that is the clear message that needs to go out today.

In preparation for today, I talked to someone who still considers themselves an addict, and they explained to me that, when they went to the Mater looking for help, they were seen as a nuisance. Somebody who was really sick was more deserving than them. They took the brave step of going to the Mater to get help, and they did eventually get it, but they got it from other addicts. They went to housing, and it was almost like, "You cannot get a house", and when that person did get a house or was offered temporary accommodation, drug-related problems were prevalent in that area, and, because they wanted to get clean, they could not go.

Will the Member give way?

I will, surely.

I am conscious of the time. Do you appreciate that the staff who work in the Housing Executive do understand that this is a massive issue, but they are not equipped to deal with this issue? They need assistance from others.

The Member is right, and that is what I said at the start. All those professionals, be it in health, housing, education or the community, are really compassionate, but they are not equipped. The saying that we all live in and rely on each other's shadows is really evident, but we need somewhere. We need a place where it actually says, "You can come here and we can try to help", and that pathway and references to all the other supports that are there will be very clear.

The other elephant in the room is that we are a post-conflict generation — now into three and going into four generations. We need to take a trauma-informed approach to addiction. I have seen the grandchildren of people who have been through the conflict, and who lost members of their family during the conflict, and I cannot dismiss the coincidence. Addiction is prevalent right throughout the family, and it seems that, the bigger the conflict and the bigger its impact, the more likely addiction is to become almost hereditary.

I thank all groups. For us, it is about where the need is. Órlaithí, as a Member for West Belfast, and I, as a Member for North Belfast, are going to argue for Belfast, but we want a needs-based approach to be taken to every available resource.

Will the Member draw her remarks to a close, please?

I thank Members for their support. I commend the motion as proposed by Órlaithí.

The Business Committee has arranged to meet at 1.00 pm. I propose therefore, by leave of the Assembly, to suspend the sitting until 2.00 pm. The debate will continue after Question Time, when the next Member to be called will be Alan Robinson.

The debate stood suspended. The sitting was suspended at 1.01 pm.

On resuming (Madam Principal Deputy Speaker [Ms Ní Chuilín] in the Chair) —