I thank the Minister for coming to the House to respond to this matter. The Eastern Health Board proposes to locate a drugs rehabilitation unit in Cork Street. There are many problems with this proposal, one of which is that is in a residential home for 27 or 28 elderly psychiatric patients, most of whom have lived there for many years, some as many as 20 years. They do not want to move from their home.
Secondly, the residents of Cork Street, who have suffered long enough with their property being devalued by compulsory acquisition for the widening of the street, which has been an ongoing saga for 20 or 30 years, feel that this would be another burden on a street which is already the scene of muggings and so on. They have been told by friends and colleagues about other centres operating in the city in Pearse Street and Baggot Street which are not a success in terms of the local community, whatever about the people being treated there.
They also feel that Dr. Steeven's Hospital, off James Street, where several administrative workers are sited, would be a more suitable location. That is a far less residential area but is a central location for the south west inner city. There is an acceptance in the community that such a drug treatment centre is needed. However, as everyone is inclined to say these days, the siting of such a centre should involve local consultation. That consultation has not taken place.
I have not been able to get proper information from the Eastern Health Board. I believe that a decision was taken to site a drugs rehabilitation unit in the Weir Home before any local consultation took place. I have represented that area on Dublin Corporation since 1985 and I did not get a telephone call or a letter, which means that the residents got nothing. They heard about it ex post facto. Somebody arrived from the Eastern Health Board and said that they were thinking of doing this, when they had actually made the decision. That is not adequate consultation. The correct way to consult would be to bring all the communities together and ask them where they think the drug treatment centre which is required in the area should be located.
I have here a letter from the South Inner City Treatment Services Group, which represents groups such as the Fatima Mansions task force, Dolphin House task force, St. Teresa's Gardens, Chambers Street, the Tenters, Cork Street, Mercy Family Centre, Donore Avenue, Basin Lane, Rialto community drug team, South Inner City Concerned Parents, St. Catherine's combined community group, the small club management committee and the Mary Aikenhead action group. They believe that there should be three or four drug treatment centres in this area based in a parish and dealing only with people from that parish. They suggest Donore Avenue, James's Street, Rialto and The Coombe.
There is a perception that when these drug treatment centres are opened, it will not just be members of the local community who will be treated there but people from all parts of the city. I have heard examples of people coming from as far as Dún Laoghaire for treatment in Pearse Street. That simply will not work. I have heard stories of drug pushers standing outside the drug treatment centre in Pearse Street selling drugs to people on their way in and out without a sign of a garda.
Would the Minister like such a drug treatment centre, with drug pushers hanging around, beside his house? I will say publicly and on the record that I would not like one beside my house. I will not be a hypocrite about it. If you ask any auctioneer whether the presence of such a centre would devalue adjacent property, I am fairly sure the answer would be yes. I will not be critical of the Minister or the Government because he has taken the correct and courageous decision that there must be drug treatment centres. However, they must be sited in the right location.
In so far as possible, they must be sited in a non residential location. It is a big burden to ask working class communities to bear, the burden of having all these people coming in and out every day right beside their homes. I can tell the Minister — he saw it in relation to the treatment centre in Blanchardstown — that the people of Cork Street are not very militant but feelings are running high.
The residents of the area sent a list of questions to Dr. Joe Barry, who attended one of the several meetings held about this matter. He has approached this problem in as positive a way as he can. I have a list of 22 questions here. I wrote to Dr. Barry and sent him a copy of these questions two weeks ago asking for answers. He replied to these questions orally at a meeting, but I have not received a written reply. The Eastern Health Board is under the Minister's responsibility. He should see to it that I get a reply. I will now list some of the questions.
Have you considered the proximity of the Coombe Hospital old folks home, the Mercy Convent home for old ladies or the local post office? How will our pensioners be protected? The present residents of the Weir Home are accepted members of our community. Why are they given no consideration? The local gardaí are at present unable to answer calls immediately. What provision is there for increased Garda numbers and patrols associated with the centre? Local business interests do not appear to have been consulted. Have you considered the impact on them? [The answer given at the meeting was that they had not.] Has the opening date been set? How many people per day? What is the actual catchment area? What are the opening hours to be? What does "extended opening" mean? Will there be in-patients? How many? Before or after treatment, will they congregate in the local area? [This is one of the key questions — will there be congregation of drug addicts in the local area.] Will they take drugs home or are they consumed on the premises under supervision? Will there be a needle exchange? What is the success rate of such projects to date? How is this measured? What support services have you put in place for the local community? Is there any organised referral system from general practitioners or must patients be referred by their general practitioners?
Have any of the alternatives, such as Dr. Steeven's Hospital, St. James's Hospital or mobile units been discussed? Have these alternatives been considered? If they have been considered what was the response? The unemployment in the area is high. How will you encourage employers to remain in this area? Many residents do not have gardens. The street is our area for walking, playing etc. Will we now be confined to our home? An environmental impact study was made with regard to the road widening plans. Was such a study not considered with regard to the more serious issue of drugs? Do you intend to have a scientifically conducted follow up study of the impact of this on the local community? How are prospective patients screened for acceptance? Do patients come freely when they choose?
I can see that my time is up. The people of this area have a positive attitude. They will support a drugs centre but only in the correct siting. They will fight tooth and nail against dislocating 27 elderly patients. I was shocked when I read an article in The Irish Times headed “Mentally ill make way for drugs centre”. We are positive in our attitude but we want a proper response from the Eastern Health Board. We want a drugs centre, not in the Weir Home, but in Dr. Steevens' Hospital.
