Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The issue of dual diagnosis of mental health issues and drug addiction issues is one area where there is a challenge. We need to fast-track it. While some people in mental health services might say this is a drug addiction issue and nothing to do with them, drug addiction services might then say this is a mental health issue and they are getting no support. It is important that we have a co-ordinated approach in that area. Regarding the step-by-step approach, I have come across self-employed people who have become addicted to drugs and ended up losing the entire business and their family home. It is then a matter of trying to deal with the addiction issue and then come back to live a normal life again. It is a slow process with a step-by-step approach. It is important, where someone is in a treatment or residential facility, that we have somewhere for them to go once they are finished in that treatment facility. Likewise, we need to make sure that when people end up in prison, they have somewhere to go when they are released from prison and they are not back out on the street where they have no place to go. It is important that we do a lot more work in that area.