Thomas Gould
Question:2832. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the funding provided to the Hidden Harm strategy in 2020 and 2021 to date. [39335/21]
View answerTuesday, 27 July 2021
Questions (2832, 2833, 2840)
Thomas Gould
Question:2833. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the actions that have arisen from the Hidden Harm strategy. [39336/21]
View answerThomas Gould
Question:2840. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the supports in place to ensure a positive outcome for the child given that data from the most recent National Drug Treatment Reporting System indicates that half of those in treatment are a parent to a child and recognising the adverse childhood experience arising for the child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39343/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2832, 2833 and 2840 together.
The 2020 data from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System were recently published by the Health Research Board. The data show that 25 per cent of cases in treatment have children, including 10 per cent with children living in the home.
Developing harm reduction interventions for children whose parents use drugs is an action in the national drugs strategy Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery (RHSR). Progress on actions relating to hidden harm, jointly delivered by the HSE and TUSLA, is set out in the published RHSR annual progress reports, the latest of which is the report for 2020. Further information on progress is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/4e5630-reducing-harm-supporting-recovery-2017-2025/.
I am very concerned with the impact of drugs on children and families, and this is a further justification for a health-led response to drug and alcohol addiction. I will ensure that the protection of children from the harms of drug use will be a strategic priority in the new action plan for the National Drugs Strategy 2021-2025.
Questions relating to funding of Hidden Harm are operational matters for TUSLA and the HSE.
Members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again able to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
Question No. 2833 answered with Question No. 2832.