President praises drug abuse project

A group which helped the families of drug addicts in inner city Dublin rebuild their lives was today praised by President Mary McAleese.

The Ana Liffey Children’s Project has worked with the families of drug abusers for 22 years from temporary accommodation.

At the opening of its new office in Middle Abbey Street, President McAleese said its staff had never judged the users but had instead provided them with an unconditional offer of support.

“The people who started and sustained this project rolled up their sleeves and got busy, trying to understand the shallow allure of drugs, trying to find effective ways out of the maze they make of so many lives,” she said.

The Ana Liffey project recognised that many drug abusers were afraid to seek help with childcare. It set up parenting courses for them and put support courses in place for the children.

The staff ran activities such as football and dancing for the children to repair the emotional damage caused by their parents’ drug abuse.

Academics from St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra received ‘an overwhelming positive response’ from the children they interviewed about the project in 2002.

President McAleese said the project had created a positive network of support and encouragement, which did not rely on the ‘one size fits all’ approach.

“Your ‘harm-reduction approach’ has worked well as has the principle of ‘journeying with people’, accompanying them on their life’s journey without insisting on being in complete control of the destination,” she said.