Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The fieldwork has been completed in recent weeks and the study is being written up at present. I hope to have it by the end of the year.

As for the rehabilitation report and its recommendations, I met representatives of the HSE the other day and will meet the local and regional drugs task forces to ascertain how they are rolling out services. For example, the increase in the number of detoxification beds can be achieved by working with the voluntary sector and the hospitals. However, the Department is anxious to promote a continuum of care. The provision of detoxification alone is not especially valuable as preparation for it and continuity after it must be provided. The Department is aware that waiting lists for treatment are patchy in different parts of the country. This is the reason I am working with those regional drugs task forces in particular that have been allocated reasonably significant budgets but have been rather slow to roll out their programmes. I hope to visit the regional drugs task force that covers Deputy Ring's area before the end of this month. If there is anything he believes I should examine while there, I will be happy to accommodate him.

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