A thesis submitted to the Dublin Institute of Technology in part fulfilment of the requirements for award of Masters (M.A.) in Child, Family and Community Studies Declaration I hereby certify that the material which is submitted in this thesis is towards the award of the Masters (M.A.) in Child, Family and Community Studies is entirely my own work and has not been submitted for any academic assessment other than part-fulfilment of the award named above. Signature of candidate:

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... _______ Date: ______________________ IV ABSTRACT Although much has been written in recent times about women's drug use, there has been a scarcity of research into motherhood and drug use in Ireland as it remains both a complex and sensitive issue. Since the 1980's Ireland has seen a dramatic and unprecedented increase in the availability of illicit drugs. This increased availability reflects rising consumption of illicit drugs amongst women. The aim of 45