Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 5

Written Answers. - National Drugs Strategy.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

438 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the details of the purpose of the visit of the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, to Frankfurt; his views on the initiatives for acute heroin users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29890/03]

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív):

As the Deputy is aware, my Department has responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. In drafting the strategy, the issue of drug consumption rooms was examined and the introduction of this form of treatment was not considered to be warranted. However, the strategy did call for this issue to be kept under review and for the results of research, both national and international, to be monitored. To inform myself further on this issue, I visited Frankfurt and Berlin in late September to view a range of facilities.

The drug consumption room that I visited in Frankfurt, as well as similar facilities in that city, were established to address the issue of on-street injecting which had reached a very high level there in the early 1990s. Although I was impressed by what I saw in Frankfurt, it must be borne in mind that these facilities were put in place to address circumstances in that city at that time, which are very different to those that pertain in Dublin today, and must be seen in that context. In Berlin, I visited a drug-free facility for young drug users.

Having considered the matter, I am not convinced that there is sufficient evidence regarding the need for drug consumption rooms in Ireland especially as there are ongoing efforts to expand our existing treatment facilities in accordance with the aims of the national drugs strategy. In this context, I am also aware that the International Narcotics Control Board, which is responsible for overseeing and monitoring international policy in relation to international drug controls, has been opposed to such forms of treatment.

The introduction of such facilities would require changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act, responsibility for which lies with the Department of Health and Children.