National Drugs Strategy.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2008

Tuesday, 1 July 2008

Questions (124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141)

Catherine Byrne

Question:

192 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the estimated number of drug users here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25286/08]

Written answers

Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney)

In January 2008 the National Advisory Committee on Drugs in Ireland and the Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit in Northern Ireland published the results of an all-island Drug Prevalence Survey carried out in 2006/2007 on a representative sample of people aged 15-64 years. Results are available separately for Ireland and Northern Ireland. The results for Ireland indicate that:

3% of respondents reported using any illegal drug during the last month (current use);

7% reported using any illegal drug in the last year (recent use); and

24% reported having ever used any illegal drug in their lifetime (ever used). Applying these percentages to the 2006 Census of Population figures for the 15-64 year age group (a total of 2,907,473 people), suggests that:

87,000 people have used any illegal drug in the last month;

204,000 people have used any illegal drug in the last year; and

698,000 people have used any illegal drug in their lifetime.

While the number of people who report ever using any illegal drug in Ireland has increased from 18.5% of the population in 2002/3 to 24% in 2006/7, this is to be expected as successive cohorts of those who grew up when there was increased exposure to different drugs grow older. It should, however, be noted that there has been no comparable increase in current use or recent use and that current use continues to be low.

While cannabis continues to be the most commonly used illegal drug, cocaine use has grown, particularly among the young adult (15-34 years) population. The HSE has in place a national cocaine awareness campaign and funding has also been allocated by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to enable Local and Regional Drug Task Forces to develop local awareness campaigns to dovetail with this.

My Department and the HSE are participating in the development of the new National Drug Strategy 2009-2016 which is being led by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. This strategy will provide the opportunity for a renewed emphasis on prevention.

Catherine Byrne

Question:

193 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients receiving methadone treatment in each of the Health Service Executive regions to date; the gender and age profile of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25287/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

194 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who received methadone treatment since 1995 to date in 2008; the gender and age profile of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25288/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

195 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of methadone clinics in Dublin city; the location of each clinic; the number of clients receiving methadone treatment at each of these clinics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25289/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

196 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of methadone clinics nationwide; the location of each clinic; the number of clients receiving methadone treatment at each of these clinics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25290/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

197 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people waiting to access a methadone treatment programme; the length of time they have been waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25291/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

198 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the average cost of methadone treatment per patient, per year since 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25292/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

199 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the cost of methadone treatment per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25293/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

200 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who have successfully completed methadone treatment and are drug-free and no longer require a methadone treatment place. [25294/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

201 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the medical treatment services available to poly-drug users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25295/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

202 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the alternative treatments available to opiate users other than the methadone treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25296/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

203 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the drugs that people, who are registered on a methadone treatment programme, are addicted to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25297/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

205 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of drugs counsellors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25299/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

206 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number, location and average length of stay in stabilisation service beds, community based residential detoxification beds, medical detoxification unit beds and step-down or half-way house beds available for rehabilitating drug addicts for each of the past eight years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25300/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

207 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people waiting for access to stabilisation service beds, community based residential detoxification beds, medical detoxification unit beds and step-down or half-way house beds; the average length of time people have been waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25301/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

208 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of stand alone drug stabilisation units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25302/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

209 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the number and type of medical and clerical staff employed by the Health Service Executive within its detoxification and rehabilitation residential services for each of the past eight years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25303/08]

Catherine Byrne

Question:

210 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Health and Children the cocaine specific treatment centres available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25304/08]

Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 to 203, inclusive, and 205 to 210, inclusive, together.

The Deputy's questions relate to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have these matters investigated and replies issued directly to the Deputy.