Dublin's inner city has had an horrific time recently. While other parts of the country have, unfortunately, experienced murders, I think we accept that it has been unprecedented in the north inner city. As Atticus Finch put it in To Kill a Mockingbird, one never really understands a person or a situation until one gets into their skin and walks around in it. That is what I am asking for - that the Taoiseach get inside the skin of somebody living in the north inner city. He or she looks out the window and there is no one on the street, yet, within two to three minutes, anything from 30 to 60 people are on it because the word has gone around that drugs will be available for sale. He or she could be sitting at home in his or her flat or walking down the street, perhaps going to buy the messages, meet neighbours or the pub for a drink, and, suddenly, shots ring out and somebody is gunned down and executed in front of him of her. He or she could have a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, who got caught up in addiction and owes a massive amount of money to the dealers and he or she hears a knock on the door and is told either to pay up or else do a deed, commit a murder or set somebody up for murder or the consequences will be worse for him or her.

Middle Ireland and wealthy Ireland have contributed to this also. They have also fuelled the drug trade and thus contributed to the murders and mayhem. We know that it did not happen overnight. It is continuing and will continue. As long as it continues, it will undermine the rule of law and democracy. Tackling criminal justice issues, increasing the police presence and enhancing the Criminal Assets Bureau are welcome, but that is only part of the answer. It will not resolve the more fundamental issues that have been neglected for decades. The bigger reality, as we all know and the Taoiseach said, is that people face disadvantage and inequality, whether in education, job creation, service provision or the environment, yet, as the Taoiseach also said, these communities have shown great resilience, pride and humour. I acknowledge the work that has happened. In spite of cuts of 30% to 40% for community, youth and addiction services, the work has continued in schools. There is also the role of the churches, as well as the community policing forum and community police officers.

Does the Taoiseach accept, as I am sure he will, that it is the duty of the State to protect its citizens? Does he accept that everyone - individuals, families and communities, regardless of where they live - has the right to live in peace, free of fear, intimidation and violence, and to live in a place where the State does not just talk about equality of opportunity but actually puts strategies in place that are well resourced and make a difference?

I accept that, of course I do. I understand, from Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan's experience as a public representative and citizen, that she knows more than most and knows many of the people involved in the north inner city directly. I respect this. The agenda she has set out is part and parcel of what we have to do. It is, of course, the duty of the State to ensure citizens are protected. It is a duty of the State to ensure citizens can go about their daily lives free of fear and pressure such as that experienced in the north inner city. However, it also has a duty to connect all of the interdepartmental agencies together. Whether it be in justice, housing, education, training, upskilling or apprenticeships, an opportunity has to be provided for young people and those who in the past might have taken a different route. It is a major challenge. When this was done in Limerick, the restoration projects took ten, 15 or even 20 years and required an enormous amount of money. We have to start by resourcing gardaí to do their job. As the Deputy knows, arrests have been made and there are investigations ongoing into the unfortunate murders. There is much more evidence on the streets and people have been warned that their lives are in danger because of the intelligence being made available to gardaí. We hope it can and will stop. In so far as the Garda is concerned, its crime task force will be resourced and given whatever facilities the Commissioner requests. The State, public representatives, community leaders and communities will need joined-up thinking, backed up by resources, to provide evidence that, for these communities, having hope is not just an aspiration but can become a reality in terms of facilities, opportunities, the provision of training, paths to employment and hope for a better life.

There have been numerous task forces, strategies and reports, many of which are gathering dust on the shelf. We are now talking about a new task force. As the Taoiseach said, it needs to have key players from the statutory organisations, but they have to be key players with direct access to Ministers. The Department of the Taoiseach also has to be involved, perhaps as the driver. There must also be experienced voices from the community and voluntary sector. Allied to this, to make a difference, there has to be an implementation, monitoring and evaluation team that will have specific short-term, mid-term and long-term objectives and timeframes. We need better and more effective international co-operation, which is vital to target assets.

We need a better understanding of addiction. One of the unintended consequences of the police action is that the drugs supply for many with an addiction will be cut off. Here is an opportunity for them to get into recovery programmes, if treatment and rehabilitation services are available to them. There needs to be an increase in detox facilities, whether community or residential. We need more gardaí, but we also need more youth workers, community and outreach workers. Education is vital, while prevention and education present a major challenge. This means engaging young people, as we have done in the north inner city, in meaningful and non-judgmental conversations.

I acknowledge that this is both complex and difficult. There are no quick-fix solutions and it is going to be a challenge. Nonetheless, there is a real opportunity. This issue is going to move from the media because they will have other stories. However, we cannot afford to lose focus because, if we do, the trail of addiction and crime, including gangland crime, will continue.

I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I like to think the north inner city task force that will be put together will be different in the sense that I would like to see it modelled on what the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, brought forward formerly in the creation of jobs, where there was a timeline, it was action-proofed and responsible. In so far as my Department is concerned, we will be very happy to work with it.

The Minister for Health explained yesterday that he hoped to be in a position, before the House rose for the summer recess, to bring legislation to the House dealing with prescriptive drugs, a matter mentioned by Deputy Róisín Shortall on a number of occasions and others. Before the end of the year we will have a national drugs strategy, with which the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, will deal, in conjunction with other Departments.

The points raised by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan are real and part of an agenda of opportunity for communities, but it is our job to make it happen. I hope to engage with the Deputy and others, including members of the Government with their different responsibilities, to address the need for joined-up thinking and to show that, where the Government applies itself with resources, it can make a difference to the lives of people.

That concludes Leaders' Questions. We move to questions to the Taoiseach.