A republican councillor who proposed setting up a group to deal with the rise of drug-related deaths in the Derry and Strabane area refused to back his motion after it was amended to include the involvement of the PSNI and other authorities.
The council is to set up a ‘Task and Finish group’ to deal with the rise in deaths amongst young people due to illegal drug taking, non-prescribed prescription drugs and substances purchased over the ‘dark web’.
However, independent councillor Paul Gallagher — who brought the original motion — refused to support it after the council voted in favour of a Sinn Fein amendment which called for the new group to draw on the expertise of statutory and voluntary experts, including the PSNI, the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and the Department of Justice.
The original motion called for the group to map a way forward to deal with the scourge of drugs in council area.
Sperrin councillor Mr Gallagher said: “We’ve done enough talking and we are all aware of what’s happening, so now is the time for council to take some action.”
However, Sinn Fein’s Michaela Boyle made an amendment which read that “we should draw on the existing expertise within this sector and involve our statuatory and voluntary partners who are part of the civic forum, including the PSNI, the PCSP and the Department of Justice”.
She said the issue was “a very sensitive and profound issue”, adding: “The work needs to be coordinated with the many agencies that are already tasked to deal with addiction and mental health issues.
“We welcome the motion brought forward by Councillor Gallagher; however, there is no quick fix for the scourge of drugs that are being pedalled through our communities or indeed being bought over the dark web.
“We welcome the recent seizures, finds and arrests across the District, but there does need to be more robust operational procedures within the PSNI and court to hold those accountable for the supply of drugs to our young people for their own financial gain.”
SDLP councillor Brian Tierney spoke of the importance of drawing down from the expertise of people within the City and District to help.
“This is about helping families who are suffering from drug addiction,” he said.
“We know there are people who are suffering from the worst possible impact of drug addiction and this can no longer be treated as an open secret.”
Mr Gallagher spoke of his disappointment at the amendment.
“I have walked behind quite a few coffins in recent years of young people, whose mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grannies and grandads have found them dead in their bed early in the morning,” he said.
“Those numbers are rising and continue to rise all while this so called expertise is in existence. And when we are walking behind the next coffin and a mother says to me, ‘What are you doing about it?’ I’m going to say this council is doing more of the same, which is nothing to address the crisis.”
Members voted in favour of the amendment with 30 votes for, five against and one abstention.
Mr Gallagher added: “I’m very disappointed at this amendment. It hijacked the original motion and what it was intended to do.
“I think when it uses the words ‘draw on the existing expertise’. The existing expertise has drawn nothing but failure”
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