asked the Minister for Health the number of drug addicts who have received treatment in the past year.
10.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drug Addicts.
9.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the rehabilitation measures made available to drug addicts who sought treatment in the past year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.
I am not in a position to state the total number of addicts treated, as some may attend their family doctors I have, however, information regarding the numbers treated in district mental hospitals, in private mental hospitals, and in the drug advisory centre at Jervis Street, and I asked private psychiatrists to let me know the numbers treated by them.
During the year 1971 33 were treated in district mental hospitals, 13 in private mental hospitals, 216 in the drug advisory centre, and, according to the returns received, six by private psychiatrists. These figures would include drug abusers, many of whom are not addicts in the technical sense of the term.
The Deputy will appreciate that the term "rehabilitation" includes all services available for drug addicts and drug abusers. These include the drug advisory centre at Jervis Street, a referral unit in the grounds of the Central Mental Hospital, and a special unit at Usher's Island; they also include services provided in conjunction with services for other persons, such as the psychiatric services provided by the psychiatric hospitals.
Would the Minister think that the provision of hostels for these drug addicts in order to rehabilitate them and to get them out of the drug environment would be desirable? Would such provision be embodied in the rehabilitation measures to which the Minister referred?
We are encouraging the possibility of providing a short-stay hostel. This is under consideration but no further proposal has yet been put to me by the Eastern Health Board.
No hostel accommodation is available at the moment?
There is the institution at the Central Mental Hospital.
Is there hostel accommodation for these people?
I have already said to the Deputy that we have no hostel accommodation.
That is what I wanted to know.