Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Written Answers. - Drug Addiction Treatment.

Micheál Martin

Question:

168 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Health the various treatment facilities available for drug addicts in the Cork area; and the plans, if any, he has to allocate additional resources to provide greater access to such facilities. [15340/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The provision of services for drug addicts in the Cork area is a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance. My Department has ongoing liaison with the board regarding the provision of its services for drug misusers. The board's policy regarding these services has been set out in its report on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Misuse, which was published in 1995. The board is making progress on implementing the recommendations in this report, which include the expansion of its services to deal with alcohol and drug misusers.

Following the announcement of the Government decisions on measures to reduce the demand for drugs in February 1996, my Department requested the Southern Health Board to outline how it proposed to implement the decisions in so far as its services were concerned. The health board replied with a detailed response on how it intended to continue with implementation of the policy and it also identified the resources which would be required.

My Department has now allocated additional resources to the board in order to expand its services to include the following: the appointment of a health education officer; the appointment of an assistant director and additional counsellor in Arbour House; the establishment of a telephone advice line; materials for health education-promotion; awareness campaigns for young people and parents; a contribution to costs incurred at the therapeutic treatment centre at Buree; the establishment of community drug treatment teams; training and support to voluntary and community groups; training programmes for general practitioners; and the cost of an area co-ordinator in so far as the post relates to drug misuse.

The total resources allocated by my Department for the implementation of these measures will be £125,000 in 1996. I am confident that the resources provided to the Southern Health Board will allow it to develop its service further in order to effectively cope with service needs.