Vol. 462 No. 8
90 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding that has been made available by his Department directly to health boards and voluntary groups in respect of in-patient and out-patient drug treatment facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5466/96]
Limerick East): It is difficult to put an exact cost on overall funding for drug treatment services. These services include out-patient counselling and support to drug users and their families, treatment which is provided in psychiatric hospitals and also in specialised drug treatment centres in Amiens Street, Baggot Street, Ballyfermot and the Drug Treatment Centre in Pearse Street. There are also detoxification units in Cherry Orchard Hospital and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. In addition, voluntary organisations provide various types of in-patient and out-patient treatment and support to drug misusers. A number of general practitioners are also involved in providing treatment services.
Since 1992 my Department has provided funding directly to the health boards for the provision of drug prevention and treatment services. The health boards in turn have grant aided voluntary organisations, some of which are involved in in-patient care. In 1995, for example, the Eastern Health Board granted over £700,000 to a number of voluntary agencies involved in drug treatment services.
The total amount of money allocated in 1995 to health boards and the Drug Treatment Centre for drug treatment facilities was over £13 million. Other services which cannot be directly costed include detoxification and out-patient and in-patient treatment provided by general general hospitals, treatment by general practitioners as part of overall patient care and counselling and support services.
