Scourge of drug addiction is sweeping through Offaly's farming community

The scourge of drug addiction is sweeping through Offaly's farming community, a Councillor told the April monthly meeting of Offaly County Council.

Cllr Hughie Egan told the meeting that he wanted to highlight this serious issue “because in rural Ireland it has taken off big time. Over the last six months or so I have gotten a bit of a shock about this in terms of some of the stuff which has come before my attention. It has opened my eyes to what is going on out there at the moment among young farmers.”

The Councillor said some farmers get deep into debt because of their drug addiction and as a result they have to sell their assets such as machinery and livestock. He said he is keenly aware of the adverse consequences which this scourge is having on the families of those suffering from drug addiction. He pointed out that it is very important that this serious subject is highlighted and focussed on in our society and in our media.

“Drug addiction is no longer just an urban thing,” he remarked. “It is everywhere. It is frightening to me at the moment what is going on. I feel deeply for the parents who are affected by their sons and daughters suffering from addiction.”

Cllr Egan pointed out that it is not just young farmers suffering from this. “I know of people who are 45, 50, 55 years of age who are addicted. Why are they addicted? Perhaps it's the pressures of life, perhaps it's the pressures of work.”

The Councillor said the Offaly Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) is a very important initiative. Launched by the Department of Justice in January 2026, the LCSP replaces the former Joint Policing Committees (JPCs), which ran for many years. The aim of the LCSP is to take a more holistic approach to community safety, moving beyond just policing to involve health, education, and community stakeholders. It brings together residents, community groups, An Garda Síochána, and statutory agencies to improve safety in Offaly and is chaired by Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick. “We need to keep the problem of drug addiction in our farming community highlighted on the LCSP's agenda,” remarked Cllr Egan. “When people learn what is going on out there at the moment their jaws drop.”

Cllr Audrey Hennessy Kennedy agreed with Cllr Egan. She said she is on the LCSP and they recently listened to a presentation about the scourge of drug addiction in Offaly. “It was jaw dropping,” she commented. “It is very worrying.” Cllr Hennessy Kennedy called on the HSE to arrange an online training programme for Councillors, so they can learn the best ways to approach this problem when they come across it in their communities. “It is coming more and more to our attention and some training could be very useful.” She pointed out that alcohol addiction also remains, of course, a big problem and profoundly damaging to society. “It is important for Councillors to also know which are the best supports out there for people. Getting to good supports in time could be crucial in dealing with the person's problem before it escalates out of control.”

Cllr Aoife Masterson said she used to live in the North Inner City of Dublin and unfortunately often came across the problem of drug addiction there, with many people addicted to Class A drugs such as cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. She pointed out that Class A drugs are getting more popular in both urban and rural Ireland. She said she knew someone in Westmeath who overdosed on cocaine mixed with fentanyl and died. “Some of his friends were actually using drugs during his funeral.” Cllr Masterson commented that the drug problem is not a class issue nor mainly an urban issue. “This problem is impacting absolutely everybody.”

Cllr Fergus McDonnell pointed out that 36 years ago he was running a cab business in Edenderry. “Hash was just coming onto the scene at the time. Things have gotten a lot worse since. I think it's important to point out that no one chooses the path of addiction. Perhaps they have made bad life choices and find themselves in a precarious situation where they are in huge debt. Over the years we held important public meetings during which we put in place supports. Despite these supports the problem has been worsening. It is in every part of society, across all ages. The facilities to get people off these drugs need more funding from the government. We also need to educate more people about the dangers of partaking in drugs. It is a tough task but we need to do what we can to make Offaly a better place.”

Cllr Claire Murray (Sinn Féin) said she also is on the LCSP. “During the presentation we received, the large scale of the problem was shocking. Many parents are worried that their children will be get into it.”

“We have all stood in funeral queues going into young people's houses,” remarked Cllr Egan. “I had to take a young fellow down from a tree one time. It is devastating.”

Cllr John Leahy, Cathaoirleach, said there has been a “huge shift” in society's culture over the years which has led to this problem. “In previous years people drinking too much was a hugely damaging thing to our communities, but it's now been joined by drugs. There's also the growing issue of people owing money to bad people, to drug dealers, which is a terrible situation to be in. Now in social gatherings it's not uncommon to see four or five people going to the toilets together to take drugs. The drug dealers' business is expanding. I too am coming across incidents where farmers are having to sell their assets to pay their drug debts. I have heard of some people being targeted by drug dealers and being beaten severely. There is a lot of fear out there in society.”

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