Mr. Fergal Black:

For anyone coming into prison who has an addiction, we have medically-assisted symptomatic detoxification. The service is not only for opiates; it also operates for benzodiazepines etc. The reality is that for those who are not linked in with treatment services in the community, we have to ensure that on release, a treatment place is available. We can only start people on a programme where we can ensure that the place is available on release. The system has got better in recent years. We are involved with the Department of Health in the oversight forum on drugs. Several pockets exist throughout the country where problems arise. However, we try to link people in. We work with our colleagues in the voluntary sector to try to ensure that people are linked in with services but it is not always possible.