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

Debate contribution by Mr Mark Durkan on 4 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Mark Durkan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour 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 4833417

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Addiction is a plague on our society. It is the great equaliser that spares no one based on age, gender, social status or background. It is a disease that shatters lives, devastates families and cripples communities. Many in the Chamber know all too well the consequences of addiction. We have seen the heartbreak in the eyes of bereaved parents and have spoken to those who are in the grips of substance dependency who feel that they have nowhere left to turn. Some of us have fought or are fighting addiction ourselves. We have witnessed the growing number of people who suffer in silence and have fallen through the cracks of an under-resourced and fragmented support system. The crisis is painfully evident in the north-west. We are experiencing some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug dependency in Northern Ireland, yet we continue to lack the vital infrastructure that is needed to combat the epidemic effectively. The statistics are shocking. There have been 212 drug-related deaths in the past year alone, and that number is rising. Each number represents a life cut short, a family grieving and a future stolen. It is not a coincidence; it is the direct result of decades of underinvestment, austerity-driven cuts and the political failure to deliver the resources that our communities so desperately need. The cost of inaction is staggering. Untreated addiction places an enormous burden on our healthcare system, our emergency services, our police service and our economy. It leads to increased rates of homelessness, crime and unemployment, but, more than that, it destroys lives. We have been passing the problem from pillar to post for too long, at times treating addiction as a criminal justice issue instead of the public health crisis that it truly is. We need a new approach that is rooted in compassion, collaboration and evidence-based treatment. That is why we are calling on the Minister of Health and the Executive to:

"prioritise the delivery of a fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre in the north-west".

That is not just about providing another facility; it is about creating a centre of excellence that can offer a dual-diagnosis approach and recognise the intrinsic link between addiction and mental health. It is about ensuring that those who are seeking help do not have to navigate a labyrinth of disconnected services but can access the holistic wrap-around support that they need to recover and rebuild their life. Crucially, it must not be done in isolation. The Minister must work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate addiction treatment into a wider regional strategy for mental health, housing and employment support. Recovery is not just about detox and rehabilitation; it is about long-term stability and ensuring that individuals who leave treatment have access to safe housing, meaningful employment and a strong support network to help them stay on the path to recovery. We must also take stronger action against those who profit from the misery of addiction. Drug dealers — the death dealers — who peddle destruction in our communities must face tougher sentences. The police must be given the resources and have the appetite to target the organised crime groups that flood our streets with lethal substances. Enforcement alone is not enough, however. Prevention and early intervention are key. We need better education, more community outreach and a greater investment in mental health services to address the root causes of substance misuse before it spirals into addiction. Like others, I thank some of the wonderful organisations — many of them have been named — such as ARC Fitness, Northlands, HURT, Foyle Haven Day Centre and the White Oaks Centre, which is a stone's throw away in Donegal. They all provide proof that recovery is possible and that lives can be rebuilt with the right support, but they cannot do it alone. They need sustained investment and a commitment from the Government that they will back their work with real investment. Today, the Assembly has an opportunity to take a stand and say clearly that we will no longer turn a blind eye to the crisis, that we will no longer allow vulnerable people to be abandoned in a broken system and that we will prioritise treatment over punishment, compassion over condemnation and action over empty promises. This is a matter of life and death. Let us not be complicit in further loss. Let us deliver the addiction treatment and recovery centre that the north-west so desperately needs.

751 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.

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