Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2015
27. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if there are additional provisions being made for support services for persons experiencing drug and alcohol issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42691/15]
View answerGovernment policy in the area of drugs is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The overall objective of the Strategy is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a partnership approach involving all the key stakeholders.
The provision of appropriate and timely treatment services is a key goal of the Strategy. Recent figures indicate that the majority of clients over the age of 18 access drug treatment within one calendar month of assessment. There is much wider coverage of needle exchange services outside the Dublin area, with more than 130 community pharmacies recruited and trained. In a major effort to reduce drug-related deaths, the HSE is undertaking a pilot project to make the life-saving drug naloxone more widely available to treat overdoses. Naloxone reverses the effects of drugs like heroin, morphine and methadone if someone overdoses.
The National Drugs Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC), chaired by the HSE, is working to roll out on a national basis the National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework, which promotes interagency working and care planning for service users. The HSE Service Plan for 2015 includes an additional €2.1m for addiction services targeting vulnerable problem drug users. These measures include enhanced provision for residential detoxification and rehabilitation facilities.
The HSE is committed to implementing the actions of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. It aims to ensure that addiction services operate within the person-centred care planning process of the National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework.
As Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, I will be leading the development of a new drugs Strategy for the period after 2016 to meet the challenges into the future. My intention over the coming months is to lay the groundwork for a concise and focused policy, placing a clear emphasis on the practical implementation of actions. An examination of the approach to drugs policy and practice in other jurisdictions will also help to identify any additional evidence-based approaches which might be considered in an Irish context.
