Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 3

Written Answers. - Drug Treatment Services.

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together.

In my Department, community health division is responsible for developing and monitoring strategy in relation to drugs and AIDS services. A principal officer has responsibility for this division. He is supported by an assistant principal officer, a higher executive officer, an executive officer and a clerical officer. He also has access to professional advice from both medical and pharmaceutical staff within the Department and from experts, outside the Department, working in the area of drug abuse, such as consultant psychiatrists. The actual provision of drugs services is the statutory responsibility of the health boards.

The following are the numbers and grades of staff employed by the Eastern Health Board in the drug addiction services.

No.	Grade
1	Programme Manager
1	Director of Addiction Services
1	Senior Administrative Officer
3	Area Operations Manager
4	Consultant Psychiatrists
1	Senior Registrar
2	Area Medical Officers
2	Associate Specialists
1	Research Registrar
46	General Practitioners (Sessional) (35 WTE)
5	Senior Pharmacists
35	Sessional Pharmacists (28 WTE)
3	Liaison Pharmacists
2	Pharmacy Technicians
3	Senior Counsellors
43	Counsellors
5	Senior Outreach Workers
24	Outreach Workers
13	Task Force Co-ordinators
10	Education Officers
1	Training Officer
1	Assistant Training Officer
20	Trainee Counsellors
2	Project Managers
4	Project Workers
2	Rehabilitation Workers
20	Nurses
2	Nursery Nurses
2	Liaison Midwives
1	Senior Clinical Psychologist
2	Social Workers
3	Child Care Workers
No.	Grade
4	Community Welfare Officers
1	Community Development Officer
64	General Assistants
40	Clerical Administration
1	Director of Helpline Services
5	Helpline Operators (Part-time)
3	Cleaning Staff

In addition the board employs general practitioners and pharmacists on a contract basis to provide services to drug misusers in their own local areas. At the end of December 1999 there were 154 pharmacists and 122 general practitioners employed for this purpose by the board.

I have been informed by the Eastern Health Board that all professional staff employed by the board in the addiction services, that is, medical, nursing, pharmacy, counselling, paramedical are properly qualified and registered with their relevant bodies. Qualifications are verified before commencement of duty and staff must continue to be registered with the appropriate body while employed by the board.

In relation to training, some of the specialist staff, such as outreach workers, are given an induction course on commencement of duty with follow up in-service training days. A wide range of in-house programmes are provided for other disciplines on issues such as addiction, suicide, child abuse and constant medical updates. Specific training has been provided for general assistants. The training unit of the board is being expanded and it is envisaged that a more extensive programme will be established for this grade and other disciplines.

With regard to counsellors, all counsellors are supervised continually by external supervisors as well as receiving specialist training. In September 1999 the board's training unit commenced a two year training course for 20 counsellors. All the trainees are qualified in case management in counselling and on successful completion of the training course they will be eligible to be accredited to the Irish Association of Alcohol and Addiction Counsellors (IAAC) and may be employed as counsellors in the addiction services. This course has been devised and facilitated by the board's training officer and assistant training officer and is overseen by a specialist management committee comprising a consultant psychiatrist, external psychotherapists and an independent moderator.

The health board endeavours at all times to ensure that staff are properly qualified to work in their particular fields. It does this by adhering to a rigorous selection process, that is, public advertisement of all vacant posts, interview by people with relevant qualifications, experience in addiction services and verification that all staff possess the necessary qualifications and experience as stipulated in the particulars of office for each post. The board also carries out Garda clearance on all staff.