(087) 1839573 paula@alcoholforum.org C/O Alcohol Forum Ireland Unit B9 Enterprise Fund Business Park, Ballyraine, Letterkenny Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill., TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health and the National Drug Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor., TD, Department of Health, Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, D02 XW14 RE: CALL FOR Inclusion of alcohol within the new national drugs strategy 30th March 2025 Dear Ministers We, the undersigned represent a broad and diverse collective of organisations and individuals right across Ireland. We are writing collectively to you both to raise the current and growing concerns we have with regard to the lack of clarity within the Department of Health on the inclusion of alcohol in the new national drug strategy which is currently in development. Our concerns are such that we have recently formed a coalition to collectively advocate for an improved response to alcohol policy in Ireland. Our growing membership includes a very broad base; including those working across recovery, research, policy, advocacy, prevention, treatment, health care, social inclusion, disability rights and community development. We are asking that you would consider our concerns and that you would meet with a delegation from our coalition to discuss these matters further. It is our collective hope that we can work together to ensure that the vital work initiated by government on reducing and preventing alcohol harm in Ireland continues. A summary of our key concerns is outlined below: Alcohol is the drug which results in the highest numbers of deaths and causes the highest levels of harm in Ireland: We are concerned that within the five priorities that have been identified in the new strategy, alcohol is not visible and that within the consultations on the development of the strategy multiple aspects of alcohol harm are not addressed. This includes, for example, Alcohol Related Brain Injury, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the hidden harm to children and families caused by parental alcohol misuse. We are also concerned about the shockingly low level of alcohol treatment cases in comparison to other drugs; approx 8100 alcohol compared with over 13,000 drugs despite nearly 600,000 people having an AUD).

There is an urgent need for meaningful consultation: The approach to developing a new National Drugs Strategy has not provided any clarity on the status, or indeed on the inclusion, of alcohol within the new strategy. The terms on which the consultation with stakeholders have been framed have focused on illegal drugs, and alcohol has not been visible in any meaningful way.

The lack of public consultation and citizen engagement regarding addressing alcohol harm is in sharp contrast to the comprehensive consultation on other drugs which were the subject to discussion in the Citizens Assembly, with oversight and drive now being provided via the Oireachtas Committee on Drug Use. This departure from meaningful public and sectoral consultation on alcohol is relatively new. In 2012, Government facilitated a comprehensive consultation on the development of the Steering Group Report on the National Substance Misuse Strategy. More recently, there were regional public consultations prior to the development last National Drug Strategy in 2017, within which concerns about alcohol harm featured in a significant way.

There is a need for clarity within the Department of Health with respect to leadership on and responsibility for driving policy and action to prevent and reduce alcohol harm: The Drugs Policy Unit indicates that their remit is specifically in regard to illegal drugs. The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Unit indicates that their remit with respect to alcohol extends only to matters relating to the Public Health Alcohol Act. At present alcohol policy within the Department of Health is spread across a number of units (CMO, Tobacco and Alcohol Unit, Healthy Ireland, Drugs Policy Unit). External to the Department of Health, many important aspects of alcohol policy fall under the remit of other Departments including Justice and Revenue.

Much work has been initiated and achieved on reducing and preventing alcohol harm. We are urging you, as the Ministers with responsibility for health policy, to take steps to ensure that progress continues. As the Ministers with responsibility for health policy and for the new National Drugs Strategy we are asking that you give serious consideration to our concerns.

The development of a new National Drugs Strategy provides an opportunity for a coherent and comprehensive response to preventing and reducing alcohol harm in Ireland. This opportunity should not be missed.

We look forward to hearing from you, particularly in response to our request for a meeting.

Yours Sincerely

The Irish Coalition for better alcohol policy

Signed by

Paula Leonard, CEO on behalf of Alcohol Forum Ireland (AFI)

Orla Fagan, National Lead for Community Action on Alcohol AFI on behalf of the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network (ICAAN)

Stacey Lyons, Coordinator on behalf of National Voluntary Drugs and Alcohol Sector

Hugh Tully, Chairperson and Stella O’Sullivan, Acting CEO on behalf of Tabor Group

Lynsey Kavanagh and Martin Collins, co-directors on behalf of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre

Mary Cunningham, CEO on behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland

Claire Naughton, National Coordinator, on behalf of the Recovery Academy Ireland

Darren O’Brien, Chairperson on behalf of SMART Recovery Ireland

Pauline McKeown, Chief Executive on behalf of Coolmine

Elaine Teague, CEO on behalf of the Disability Federation of Ireland

Caroline Strong, Chief Operations Officer on behalf of the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW)

Dr Bernard Kenny, on behalf of the Irish College of GP’s

Mick Williams, Manager on behalf of Sanklapa Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre (Finglas/ Cabra)

Claire O’Sullivan, Manager on behalf of Tintean Housing Association (Waterford)

Jackie McKenna, Project Coordinator on behalf of Family Addiction Support Network (Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath)

Dr Niamh Dever, Secretary on behalf of the Irish Society of Specialists in Public Health Medicine (ISSPHM)

Dr Sheila Gilheany, CEO on behalf of Alcohol Action Ireland

Michael Mason, Manager on behalf of Ballyfermot Advance Project CLG

Jacqueline Daly, Development Worker on behalf of Cork City Drug / Alcohol Prevention Project (Cork City)

Alan Cleere, Manager on behalf of Rialto Community Drug Team (Dublin)

Dr Kieran Harkin, Medical Director on behalf of Merchants Quay Doctors (Dublin)

Evelyn Fanning on behalf of Galway City Alcohol Strategy Group

Siobhan Cullen, Chairperson and Mary Herlihy, Manager on behalf of Donegal Women’s Centre (Donegal)

Nicola Perry, CEO on behalf of SafetyNet Primary Care

Siobhan McLaughlin, Manager, Donegal Travellers Project (Donegal)

Garry Glennon, Manager, Letterkenny Youth and Family Services (Donegal)

Nolunga Shologu, Community link worker on behalf of Donegal Intercultural Platform

Gemma O’Leary, Development Worker, on behalf of Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Gordon Kinsley, Chairperson on behalf of Cork and Kerry Alcohol Strategy Group

Michéal Durcan, Co-ordinator & Joe O’Neill, Chairperson on behalf of the Western Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Rosaleen O’Grady, Chairperson on behalf of the North West Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

David Creed, Coordinator on behalf of the North Dublin Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Olan Kelleher, Chairperson and Kate Gibney, Co-ordinator on behalf of the Southern Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Andy Ogle, Coordinator on behalf of the North Eastern Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Lisa Baggott, Coordinator on behalf of the South Western Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Stephen Murphy, Coordinator on behalf of the South East Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Paul Duff, Coordinator on behalf of the Dublin North East Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Aoife Bairéad, Chairperson on behalf of Canal Communities Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Grace Hill, Coordinator on behalf of Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Hugh Greaves, Coordinator on behalf of the Ballymun Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Colm Walsh, Coordinator, on behalf of Bray Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

John Doyle, Co-ordinator on behalf of DLR Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Ann Losty, Chair, Blanchardstown Local Drugs Task Force

Sharon Bradley, Coordinator on behalf of Dublin 12 Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Martin Hoey, Chairperson on behalf of Finglas Cabra Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Dr Frank Houghton, Lecturer & Director Social Sciences ConneXions, Technological University of the Shannon

Dr James Larkin, Postdoctoral Fellow and Honorary Lecturer at Royal College Surgeons in Ireland

Dr Emeka Dumbili, Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fello, School of Sociology, UCD

Professor Donncha O’Brien, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Beaumont Hospital

Dr Grainne Ketelaar, Atlantic Technological University

Dr Katy Tobin, Assistant Professor in Biostatistics, Global Brain Health Institute , Trinity College Dublin

Dr Hugh Gallagher, MICGP, Integrated Alcohol Service, Addiction Services Dublin North City & County

Dr Ollie Bartlett, Assistant Professor of Law, Maynooth University

Dr Prakashini Banka- Cullen, Research Fellow, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin

Dr Declan Coogan, Director, Master of Arts in Social Work Programme & Research Fellow, UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway

Dr Susan Smith, Professor of General Practice in Trinity College, Dublin

Dr Máirtín Ó Maoláin, Clinical Lecturer in General Practice, RCSI

Dr Maggie Green, Department of Early Education and Social Studies, Atlantic Technological University

Dr Marie Walsh, Lecturer and Researcher at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)

Dr Michael Byrne, Head of Student Health Services, University College Cork

Professor Catherine Comiskey, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin

Jackie Kearney B.A, M.A., Department of Applied Social Sciences,Technological University of the Shannon,