Simon Harris: Addiction is 'a public health epidemic' that impacts every community

We don't talk enough about addiction in Ireland but we talk even less about how it impacts on families, said Health Minister, Simon Harris.

The minister said the belief that addiction only affected certain people and communities was “complete and utter bull”.

Addiction is an issue in every community and families affected by it are suffering.

“This is a reality for people and we got to start talking about it. It is a health crisis. It really is. It is a public health epidemic,” he said.

“I do think there is a lot of the same ignorant stigma that we have had around other social issues – that it only happens to certain people. Nonsense. We need to call time on it."

Mr Harris told the Oireachtas committee on health that he intends doing a lot more to help families affected by addiction.

Britain has a helpline for families affected by addiction and he wants to explore ways of helping Irish families in the same situation.

Separately, Mr Harris said he is expecting the report from the Health Research Board on what other jurisdictions had done to effectively combat vaccine hesitancy by the end of the year.

He has already received preliminary advice from the Attorney General, Seamus Woulfe, on the constitutionality of banning children from school until they have their vaccines.

The minister said there is nothing stopping creches and childcare providers making it a requirement that children will only be accepted if their parents or guardians can show that they are vaccinated.

Mr Harris said it had become the norm that family pets are only accepted by kennels and catteries if they are vaccinated.

“It is quite astonishing that it isn't actually the norm when it comes to dealing with children,” he said.

If he was sending his child to a creche he would like to know that he had “done right” in getting her vaccinated and she was going into an environment where she could not pick up other illnesses.

“I do think all of us should be calling on creches and childcare providers to make this part of good practices and guidelines from today.”

The Minister said he would very shortly table proposals to pay consultants a lot more money to work in the public service.

But in return, they would be expected to only use public beds for public practice and public patients.

“There's no free money here,” he warned.