Contact details
John Taaffe, National Coordinator
Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative
New House
St Patrick's College
Maynooth
Co. Kildare
Tel: +353 (0)1 505 3044
Mobile: +353 (0)86 861 1531
Email:
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About the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative (IBDI)
The Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative was established in 1997 as a church response to the growing problem of drug / alcohol misuse in Ireland. Its vision is to enable parishes to use a pastoral response in partnership with other service providers to respond to the primary and secondary prevention of drug / alcohol harms in parish communities.
Its objectives are as follows:
- To raise awareness in the wider community of this spiritual, pastoral, Christian response of reaching out to those affected by drugs / alcohol, as well as awareness of the positive role that planned parish events can have in preventing the harms caused by substance abuse and misuse.
- To support parishes in responding to the primary and secondary prevention of drug and alcohol misuse in partnership with other agencies both voluntary and statutory. Parishes will be supported in networking with other agencies and have an understanding of levels of activities of parish responses.
- To increase drug awareness knowledge, and increase understanding of related issues among people in the parish communities.
- To increase understanding of treatment services available locally, regionally and nationally which will allow for direct referrals. The parish projects will also have an understanding of the structures of the Regional Task Forces and knowledge of essential links for resources that may be needed.
- To promote best practice in parishes in drug and alcohol prevention. The parish committee members will feel empowered to respond more positively to drug use / misuse in their parish community which will lead to a decrease in fears of drug / alcohol issues locally and will create a more positive attitude to understanding drug / alcohol misuse in communities.
- To continue to play a part on a national level with national events and national productions of materials for prevention of drug and alcohol abuse and misuse.
Members of the IBDI
The IBDI is an initiative of the Catholic Healthcare Commission:
Ms Patricia Conway (Chair)
Ms Kathleen Kelleher
Fr Eamon Treanor
Mr Chris Murphy
Mr Kevin Nelson
Work of the IBDI
The IBDI works alongside clergy, pastoral councils or interested parties in parishes in assessing the gap and needs of the parish in relation to drug and alcohol problems. Parish projects are offered training in order to promote best practice in the provision of primary and secondary prevention of substance abuse and misuse. The parish initiative is expected to be collaboration work between the church and other key stakeholders from community / voluntary groups alongside the Health Service Executive Addiction Services.
The IBDI currently supports ten nationwide pilot projects to respond to the prevention of drug / alcohol problems at parish level. In 2006 it received funding from the National Drugs Strategy for this project. It has also overseen the publication of a pastoral letter on alcohol and the production of a DVD on the subject for secondary schools.
Testimonies
Click here to read why some parishes got involved in the pilot project and what impacts the project had for them...
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