Debate contribution: Treatment and Recovery Centre in the North-west

Debate contribution by Mr Gary Middleton on 4 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Gary Middleton

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

4 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Treatment and Recovery Centre in the North-west

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4833385

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Although my party will support its amendment, it is happy to support the Alliance amendment. Addiction does not discriminate. It can enter anyone's life, either personally or through the struggles of a loved one. Whilst addiction knows no boundaries in whom it can affect, it ultimately takes lives and destroys the lives of valued family members, friends and colleagues. I cannot think of any community across my constituency or Northern Ireland, whether urban or rural, or, indeed, further afield that has not been negatively impacted on to varying degrees by addiction. Addiction comes in many forms. It is important to note that it is not always constrained to substance abuse. Addiction is a chronic condition that is faced by the individual, who often sees impacts on many aspects of their life, including, but not limited to, mental and physical health struggles, relationship breakdown or loss of career. Addiction is treatable. It can be managed effectively, and there can be recovery. There is hope. However, the right treatment path has to be available for the person who needs that help. There must be a clear route out of their troubles. That must be locally available so as not to put a further barrier in the way of a life-saving necessity. Many local initiatives are doing excellent work in the Foyle constituency. One such organisation is HURT (Have Your Tomorrows). HURT was set up by the inspirational Sadie O’Reilly in 2001 after the untimely and devastating loss of her son Tony to heroin addiction. HURT continues to do phenomenal work in the north-west and celebrated 20 years of supporting local people and their families through addiction. HURT has a uniquely placed drop-in centre that offers a holistic and family-based support methodology to addiction recovery as well as addiction prevention programmes, youth personal development courses and workshops. Of course, many other organisations, such as Northlands, ARC Fitness, which has already been mentioned, Extern, Aware and Hope North West, as well as many local churches, do phenomenal work locally. I want to highlight another notable and impressive local initiative that was set up by north-west man Conor McDermott. At just 24 years old, he set up Walled City Social, a group that lifts the stigma for young men between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to socialise without alcohol. It provides non-alcohol-focused events for young men, focusing on mental and physical health and providing positive environments in which to socialise without alcohol's being involved. Conor has recognised the growing focus on social drinking and associated pressures and has created a fantastic, positive venture that will no doubt help countless young men with their physical and mental health.

As with all community support initiatives, projects and charities, we increasingly see that their provision bridges some of the gaps between formal medical treatment, family support and vital social aspects. Such organisations are vital, but just as vital is the need for a dedicated treatment centre that can provide bespoke specialised treatment has the capacity to take on patients from the north-west and not isolate them from their locality, their family or their community by expecting them to travel great distances for the treatment that they so badly need. It is vital that all parts of our community health support and health services work well, but it is even more vital that they work well together. A dedicated treatment centre would allow for that. Like many families across the Foyle constituency and, indeed, our country, I have seen at first hand the devastating impact of addiction, specifically substance abuse, and how it affects so many families that I represent in the north-west. I have spent hours sitting with a family member and phoning every treatment centre and charity available asking for help for an addict, only to be turned away at each turn, not because the centres do not want to help but because of a lack of local capacity. It is only when you go through the process with someone who is desperate for help that you truly realise how badly that help is needed. The Assembly must look at the person, see their suffering and ensure that they are treated as the patient that they rightly are, as that will remove the stigma that is associated with addiction. The stigma alone, together with the knowledge of how difficult it can be to get help, often causes the patient not to reach out for help or not to receive the help that they need in a time that they need it most. Your postcode should not dictate the level of treatment that you receive. The message from me, my party and those whom I represent is clear. We hope that we can be unanimous today in our message to the Minister of Health, who has kindly given of his time to be here today. We must see dedicated and timely action to ensure that an addiction treatment centre is delivered for the north-west. We have lost too many loved ones, and so many loved ones are caught in the endless spiral of addiction and associated problems. They have an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and are not sure where to turn. We have to provide a solution. We can no longer ignore the people who are desperate for help. During the COVID pandemic, alcohol and drug use increased by 60%. That staggering statistic from Ulster University shone a light on those who already faced social marginalisation and highlighted the fact that they faced elevated levels of harm. The human cost is immeasurable and untold, while the financial cost to Northern Ireland is immense, but the short-term goal of a establishing a treatment centre will help those most in need and literally save lives. In the long term, it would free up finances that could be reused for health provision. I therefore see no reason — fiscal or moral — why we cannot garner support for a centre. I encourage Members to support our amendment. Hopefully, we will see a unanimous position taken today.

1,014 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:05 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification