Vol. 396 No. 5
14 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health the names of projects assisted by his Department in the area of drug abuse rehabilitation; the funding available for each project; and if he has any further plans in this regard.
Outside of the Eastern Health Board drug abuse rehabilitation services are provided mainly by the health boards. In the Eastern Health Board area, in addition to the services provided directly by the health board and Drug Treatment Centre Board, Trinity Court, Pearse Street, Dublin, is funded directly by my Department. Their original allocation for the current year is £910,000.
In 1989 the following projects were supported from lottery sources: The Eastern Health Board pilot Out-Reach project, including the Baggot Street Walk-in Centre, £300,000; the Anna Liffey project, £20,000; the Ballymun youth action project, £5,000; Community Action Against Drugs, £5,000; and the Mater Dei Counselling Centre, £25,000.
I have asked the Eastern Health Board to establish a second walk-in centre in the north city of Dublin and I am awaiting their proposals in this regard.
The Deputy will appreciate that the rehabilitation of drug abusers is only one aspect of dealing with a problem which requires co-ordination also in relation to prevention through education and information, law enforcement and social integration. I wish to assure the Deputy that such co-ordination exists at both national and local levels to ensure that the most effective anti-drugs strategy is in place.
Would the Minister not agree that drug abuse is on the increase at present and that extra resources are needed urgently, particularly in the Cork area. I know the Minister has indicated that this is the responsibility of the health board. He has made a lot of progress in regard to drug abuse over the past two years and I would ask him to make resources available for the other health board areas outside of Dublin.
As the Deputy rightly pointed out, outside of Dublin the issue is dealt with solely by the area health boards. I will certainly talk to the Southern Health Board about the position in Cork but there is no great evidence that there is an increase in drug abuse in this country at present.
Arising from the Minister's reply about national local co-ordination, will he now clarify whether it is approved policy by him to have a free needle exchange in relation to drug abuse as different health boards have different practices?
As I have said in this House previously, the Out-Reach Programme which we established in the last three years has been successful in Dublin. The most important element in the Out-Reach Programme is the counselling element. If a counsellor believes needles should be given to a client, that is a matter between the counsellor and the client and I approve of that.
The Minister did not always approve of it.
