Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2004
147 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has plans to assist children whose parents are involved in drugs or who have died as a result of their drug use; and if she will take action to assist these families. [24869/04]
View answerThe provision of drug treatment services is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. All health boards provide a wide range of services including counselling, education, treatment and rehabilitation.
There are two types of family support services funded by health boards: (i) general family support services which are offered to a wide range of families for the purpose of either preventing problems or addressing them after they have emerged; and (ii) child care family support services which are offered to families to promote child development in a family context.
These services include the springboard projects, which is a family support programme designed to improve the well being of children and families in Ireland and to improve the organisation and delivery of services more generally. All springboard projects have a general strategy of being open and available to all families, parents and children in their communities, as well as a more specific strategy of working intensively with those who are most vulnerable. As with other family support programmes, it offers a range of interventions, including individual work, group work, peer support, family work, advocacy and practical help.
Within the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, the South Western Area Health Board has employed a family therapist to work with the young persons programme in Fortune House. The Northern Area Health Board has developed a young persons programme in City Clinic, Domville House and the Crinan Project. It also has facilities available for the development of a young persons programme in the Finglas/Cabra area. The East Coast Area Health Board has developed a psychological intervention programme for young people. The assessment phase has commenced and the programme will begin shortly. Counselling services are currently offered to this group, to parents and to significant others.
The Drug Treatment Centre Board, through the young persons programme, provides family support counselling to families attending this service, which is offered on an individual basis or within a group setting. A family support group facilitated by its counselling team meets on a weekly basis.
The Western Health Board drug service offers a community based direct access counselling and support service to children of drug using parents. Together with its family support service and its psychology service it also offers bereavement counselling and support to children and families who have experienced loss. The national advisory committee on drugs is currently conducting a family support study and its report is due for publication shortly.
Furthermore, the Department of Social and Family Affairs is preparing a national strategy on the development of family policy and support. The overall aim of the strategy is to develop a co-ordinated integrated strategy across the various relevant policy areas designed to strengthen families in carrying out their functions in the light of demographic and other changes which have taken place, including issues related to poverty and social inclusion. The Department of Health and Children is represented on the interdepartmental committee which has been formed to progress this strategy.
