asked the Minister for Health the number of patients treated at the new drug treatment centre, Dundrum, Dublin, since it opened.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drug Addiction.
5.
I would suggest that the Deputy address his inquiry to the Eastern Health Board who are responsible for the administration of the Dundrum drug treatment centre.
Is the Minister aware that several weeks ago he answered a question put down by Deputy O'Connell about the number of people who have been treated for drug abuse in the city? Why can he not give this figure in the House?
Because I am very anxious that Deputies and others interested should concentrate on the health boards when they are asking questions which relate to health board administration. I will never refuse to answer any questions that bear on national policy or complaints by Deputies that a health board are not, in general, acting according to the policy development suggested or are showing inefficiency. I want the health boards to have the prestige of large administrative bodies responsible for the health and hospital services. I am very anxious that there should be that atmosphere within health boards, that Deputies and members of health boards are entitled to ask questions and to think of the health board in the first instance as the place where they can receive information and where they can ask questions about the health and hospital services.
Arising from the Minister's lack of reply in relation to what he has said to previous questions, that he has taken total responsibility for this problem of drug abuse, surely he must be in a position to know how many drug addicts have been treated in the Dundrum treatment centre, which was set up by his Department prior to being taken over by the Eastern Health Board? Surely he must have that figure or he could have no conception at all of the type of results there are from treating drug abuses on an in-patient level? His answer is complete nonsense. We would all like to write to the health board but how long would it take to get the answer? We are entitled to get this information from the Minister in this House.
In actual fact, I gave full information on the whole of the drug treatment facilities for the State on a previous occasion when the Deputy was not here.
This question relates to the special drug treatment centre.
The question was asked on a national basis and I gave the information.
Question No. 6.
I want to know from the Minister how many patients were treated at this centre?
We cannot discuss every one of the Deputy's questions. Question No. 6.
We are entitled to know how many people have passed through this centre, if any.
Would the Deputy please sit down? Question No. 6.
Is the Minister aware that while we, as members of health boards, do everything possible to keep up the standards which we were providing as a health authority, because of the reduction of £153,000 to the mid-Western Health Board we cannot possibly work within the amount he has given us? Will he now take steps, if he wants to uplift the prestige of the health boards, to provide us with the £153,000 which he has deducted from our estimate?
That has nothing to do with this question.
That is a separate question.
I know it is. That is why I asked it.