Vol. 437 No. 4
5 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of persons addicted to hard drugs in Dublin; the number of those currently on treatment programmes; the number on waiting lists for treatment programmes; the areas of the city where those addicted reside; the number of hospital beds available for drug treatment and the waiting lists for these; and the estimated level of services required to provide treatment for all those in need.
An accurate figure in respect of the number of persons addicted to hard drugs in Dublin is difficult to compute. However, it is estimated that, excluding persons attending the community services established by the Eastern Health Board in 1992 and 1993, approximately 1,850 persons are receiving treatment for drug abuse in various treatment centres. A total of 352 persons are on the methadone and maintenance programmes in the satellite clinics and a number are receiving treatment from general practitioners. Information concerning the areas of residence of persons addicted to drugs is not available.
It is assumed that when the Deputy refers to hospital beds available for drug treatment he is referring to specialised detoxification beds. There are ten such beds available in Beaumont Hospital for which there is a waiting list of 15 female and 21 male patients.
There have been significant developments in the Eastern Health Board treatment services in the last two years. At present the board is providing services at four locations — Baggot St., Amiens St., Ballyfermot and Trinity Court — and community drug teams to complement the above clinics are being provided in Rialto and Ballymun. A total of 536 persons are currently on the waiting list for the health board methadone treatment programmes and the board intends to open at least two further clinics in early 1994. They also propose to establish further community drug teams.
The implementation of the protocol on the prescribing of methadone in 1994 and the increased involvement of a number of general practitioners in a structured methadone maintenance programme in the community will also assist in tackling the problem.
The services which are now in place and those which are being developed have been introduced as a result of the strategies prepared by the National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse and the National AIDS Strategy Committee. Both of these committees will continue to assess the need for the development of services and to advise me on the appropriate responses to such needs. The Deputy can be assured that I regard this area as a priority and have made provision in the 1994 Estimates to develop these services further.
Will the Minister confirm whether he has recently stated publicly that there are in the region of 5,000-6,000 people addicted to hard drugs in Dublin city? Arising from the reply in relation to the new satellite clinics, does the Minister not accept that these clinics, despite the dedicated staff, provide little more than a band-aid service, with in some instances two counsellors looking after hundreds of addicted persons and a waiting list of nearly 200 awaiting them, giving them an opportunity to see the addicted person only once a month and that——
I appeal for brevity.
Given the very difficult and hazardous job that staff in these centres can have, will he look at the level of staff involved to see if he can increase staff, because staff are desperately needed?
I accept much of what the Deputy has said and the Deputy's sincerity in putting this case. I have sought resources to combat drug abuse. Last year we substantially increased the funding available and in 1994 I intend that we shall have substantial additional funding. The funding enabled us to establish three satellite clinics and at least two more are about to come on stream. The staffing will be put in place along with further community teams. The methadone protocol that allows GPs to prescribe and all the recommendations of the national co-ordinating committee will be implemented in that regard in 1994. Action is being taken to tackle the problem.
On the figures, we do not have accurate information about the number of people who are addicted to drugs in Dublin. We are trying to get firm figures. The figures presented to me range from 2,000 to 7,000 and, looking at all the figures, I reckoned that 5,000 would not be an unreasonable estimate; but we are not really clear about it.
Does the Minister accept that the current resources are clearly inadequate to meet the needs of the thousands of addicts, whether there are 5,000 or 7,000 addicts, and that insufficient resources leave the drug user at the mercy of drug dealers? Does the Minister accept that his job is made all the more difficult, if not impossible, when we read in the papers today that a drug dealer convicted of possession of heroin with intent to supply, who is linked by the Garda to a seizure of 60 grammes of heroin, £100,000 worth in street value, was given——
The Deputy seems to be giving information rather than seeking it. This is Question Time.
I am asking the Minister to accept that his job is made all the more difficult when such a drug dealer is given a derisory five year sentence by the courts system.
That is a matter for another Minister, Deputy.
I am anxious to improve the drugs services considerably in the health dimension, which is my responsibility. To that end, £3.4 million was allocated in the Estimate published last week to provide a range of services which will come onstream next year. I will not list those services now, but I will provide the Deputy with a written statement in that regard.
