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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Drug Treatment Services.

Mr. Coveney

I have called this debate because I wish to clarify what is the state of play with regard to providing a residential drug addiction treatment service in the Cork area for adolescents. Twelve months ago I made my first contribution to a debate in this House on this very subject. I thought at the time, in my innocence, that I and others were being successful in putting pressure on the Minister to provide funding in this area. Over the past year a number of promises and announcements have been made indicating that funding for adolescent drug treatment residential care would be provided, by supporting a programme run by Matt Talbot Services in Cork. However, no funding has yet appeared.

The Minister is more than aware of the battle against drug addiction that we face, particularly in the case of young people.

There are two aspects to this fight. The first is to try to cut off supply by tackling drug traffickers and dealers, with which we have had some success. The second is to try to encourage people to move away from drug use, whether they be addicts or simply youngsters experimenting.

Treatment of young addicts is an area that has been neglected desperately. We have an intolerable situation in Cork at present where a residential drug treatment programme that has been recognised as a success, has been closed for nearly two years, due to lack of funding. Let me remind the Minister how the programme works. Three centres in County Cork make up a model of treatment that is appropriate to address the needs of young drug abusers. The first is Garryvoe in east Cork, which is phase 1 of the programme. It is a ten bed residential facility that deals with children immediately after they have been taken off harmful drugs. Garryvoe also deals with trying to re-educate children. This building is now closed awaiting funding.

The second is Ahiohill in west Cork which is phase 2 of the programme. It takes adolescents who have been weaned off a drug and prepares them for the outside world again, prepares them for getting a job and a career, and gives them a direction. Again, this building is closed, awaiting promised funding.

The third centre is Trabeg, Douglas in Cork which is the final phase 3 of the programme. This is an eight bed facility, but it also has offices and day care facilities which monitor and support children and young adults as they re-enter society and develop a decent life without the effects of drugs and crime. This building and phase 3 is only partially open, again waiting for promised funding.

The fact is that this model of treatment is a proven success that allows children who desperately need it to be taken out of the surroundings that led them astray. It builds up and educates children on how to re-enter society in a positive way, and it helps to maintain and support adolescents when they have re-entered society and are trying to cope.

I assume I do not have to spend time in this debate trying to convince the Minister of the need for residential drug treatment facilities for adolescents. Everyone accepts, and we have studies to prove it, that drug use is on the increase among young people.

During the summer, I got a letter from Matt Talbot Services thanking me for my contribution in securing the funding they required to re-open their services. Everybody involved in drug treatment and prevention that I know in Cork was pleased to hear that Matt Talbot Services would be re-opened – the Garda, addicts, local councillors, the Southern Health Board, and any drug counsellors to whom I spoke. Apparently everything was in place until the funding was looked for. A sum of £250,000 was to come from the Department of Health and Children through the Southern Health Board; £250,000 was to come from the Department of Education and Science, as promised and £250,000 was to be made available by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. That commitment took a bit longer to get, but we got it also.

The question I want answered is simple, and I want a straight answer because we are dealing with young people's lives here, and promises that have already been made. Is the funding available as promised? If so, when will we see it put into action?

Perhaps I missed something in the budget documentation, but I have seen no reference to funding for Matt Talbot Services. Adolescent children who need it should not have to wait any longer for residential drug treatment. There is nowhere for them to receive treatment at present in the south. As a result they have to travel long distances, sometimes even abroad, for treatment, or they receive no treatment. I cannot accept this at a time when our Government has so much money at its disposal, particularly when the facili ties and expertise are already in place in Cork, but closed because of lack of funding that was promised.

I thank Deputy Coveney for raising this very important matter. As the Deputy will be aware, the Southern Health Board has statutory responsibility for the provision of alcohol and drug treatment services for adolescents in its area. The board provides a range of services, mainly through its out-patient facility at Arbour House in Cork and its outreach and counselling services throughout Cork and Kerry. The board also has an arrangement whereby it refers adolescents to Aislinn Treatment Centre in Ballyragget, County Kilkenny, for the treatment of substance misuse.

Matt Talbot Adolescent Services provides residential treatment for male adolescents. In this regard I would point out that the Southern Health Board is agreeable in principle to the provision of funding to the Matt Talbot Services in respect of the services to be provided there. Matt Talbot Services has been allocated £30,000 by the board in 1999 to assist with the development of its services. In addition, it has been allocated the sum of £50,000 from the youth services development fund, under the aegis of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation towards the work of Matt Talbot Services whenever services commence there.

The services available at Matt Talbot, however, cover a number of areas as well as alcohol and drug misuse. These include child care areas such as services for early school leavers and justice and probation services and consequently the proposal falls into the remit of a number of agencies and Departments. These key agencies and Departments are working to agree on a level of service which is appropriate for Matt Talbot Adolescent Services and this, in turn, would have an impact on the level of funding required.

I understand that discussions are in progress between the agencies involved in an effort to advance the situation. A meeting has been arranged for next week between officials of my Department, officials of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and officials from the Department of Education and Science, together with other agencies involved such as the Southern Health Board and Cork VEC, to discuss the issue of services and funding.

I am confident that these discussions will be concluded at an early date and that they will culminate in agreement on the level of services and funding to be provided at Matt Talbot Adolescent Services.

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