Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There has been an upsurge in people drinking at home during Covid-19 and in numbers presenting for treatment for drug and alcohol issues. My question relates to dual diagnosis.

I did not see any mention of it in the report published today. I have worked in several addiction centres across Dublin in a professional capacity. All present know that drink and drugs give people the ability to self-medicate and calm the anxiety in their world for a certain amount of time, until it stops working. It becomes a learned response. Will new or additional addiction and mental health services be provided in order that they can work together instead of working apart? That is one of the biggest challenges. If the mental health service solely focuses on mental health issues and addiction services solely focus on addiction, people will fall through the cracks of those services. Will an approach be taken whereby the services will be more aligned and more resources will be allocated, especially to community addiction services?