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Addiction Treatment Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2018

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Questions (321, 322, 323, 324, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 340, 342, 343)

John Curran

Question:

321. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the new schemes developed for socially and economically disadvantaged communities to provide targeted, appropriate and effective services for young persons at risk of substance misuse. [53672/18]

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John Curran

Question:

322. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the working groups established to examine the evidence regarding early harm reduction responses such as drug testing, amnesty bins and media campaigns responding to current and emerging trends, including the use of new psychoactive substances and image and performance enhancing drugs and other high risk behaviours. [53673/18]

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John Curran

Question:

323. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the action taken during 2018 to strengthen the implementation of the national drugs rehabilitation framework specifically with regard to developing a competency framework on key working, care planning and case management; and if the training programme on the key processes of the National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework has been extended. [53674/18]

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John Curran

Question:

324. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the action taken during 2018 to expand the availability and geographical spread of relevant quality drug and alcohol services and improve the range of services available based on identified need; and the way in which gaps in identifying and addressing gaps in provision within tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 services have been identified and addressed. [53675/18]

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John Curran

Question:

326. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which the availability of opioid substitution treatments has been improved during 2018; and if access to same has been increased through an expansion of general practitioners prescribing, nurse-led prescribing and the provision of opioid substitution treatments in community-based settings and homeless services. [53677/18]

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John Curran

Question:

327. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which quality and safety of care in the delivery of opioid substitution treatment has been enhanced in 2018; and the way in which the HSE national clinical guidelines on same are being implemented and reviewed in line with national clinical effectiveness committee processes. [53678/18]

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John Curran

Question:

328. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which relapse prevention and aftercare drug treatment services have been improved during 2018. [53679/18]

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John Curran

Question:

329. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which the range of progression options for recovering drug users has been increased in 2018; and if a new programme of supported care and employment has been developed. [53680/18]

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John Curran

Question:

330. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if the need to provide drug liaison midwives and specialist medical social workers in all maternity networks was assessed during 2018; and if so, the outcome of the assessment. [53681/18]

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John Curran

Question:

331. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which maternity hospitals and units have strengthened their methods of detecting alcohol abuse and supporting women to reduce their intake. [53682/18]

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John Curran

Question:

332. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which links between maternity services and addiction services have been strengthened during 2018. [53683/18]

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John Curran

Question:

333. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if the need for additional residential placements for pregnant and postnatal women who need inpatient treatment for addiction to drugs and or alcohol nationally has been quantified; and if so, the action being taken as a result [53684/18]

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John Curran

Question:

334. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he has resourced the national women and infants health programme to provide drug liaison midwives and specialist medical social workers in all maternity networks [53685/18]

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John Curran

Question:

335. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he is increasing the range of wrap-around community and drug and alcohol task forces residential services equipped to meet the needs of women who are using drugs and-or alcohol in a harmful manner, including those with children and those who are pregnant [53686/18]

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John Curran

Question:

336. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which he is developing interventions to address gender- and culture-specific risk factors for not taking up treatment for drug addiction [53687/18]

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John Curran

Question:

337. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the assessment being made of the need for the development of specialist services to meet the needs of older persons with long-term substance use issues [53688/18]

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John Curran

Question:

340. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the way in which needle exchange programmes have been expanded during 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53691/18]

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John Curran

Question:

342. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the development of an overdose prevention strategy [53693/18]

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John Curran

Question:

343. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the actions he has taken during 2018 to build capacity within drug and alcohol services to develop a patient safety approach in line with the HIQA national standards for safer better healthcare [53694/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 to 324, inclusive, 326 to 337, inclusive, 340, 342 and 343 together.

Government policy in relation to drug and alcohol addiction services is set out in the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery-a health led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025. It identifies 50 strategic actions to be delivered between mid 2017 (when the strategy was launched) and 2020.

The strategy is a dynamic process, that is monitored through the key national , regional and local structures charged with implementing the strategy. Each year the bodies responsible for delivering the strategic actions are required to report on progress.

A progress report for 2018 - the first full year for implementing the strategy - will be presented to the national oversight committee for the drugs strategy in January.

As the Deputy's questions relate to the progress on a number of the actions in the strategy, I will forward to him the 2018 progress report in due course.

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