Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I have no intention of watering down any findings on drug use. The drugs problem is serious. Even if Ireland did not feature in any league tables, as far as I am concerned, any abuse of drugs is an abuse too much.

The report, published on 10 November, states 55% of problem opiate users were in opiate treatment in 2007, the last year for which we have an estimate. In Dublin, the average waiting time for a substitution treatment programme is between two weeks and six weeks. Those living outside Dublin can wait between one month and two years. Since I was appointed, I have concentrated on improving these times in Leinster with the Health Service Executive.

It should also be noted from the report that up to 30% of those entering treatment reported injecting use, while 22% of new cases reported injecting drug use. The proportion of injector cases has decreased since 2003, however. In 2007, 74% of drug related deaths, such as overdose poisoning, were due to opiates alone or opiates in conjunction with other drugs. There was a steady rise in heroin seizures between 2004 and 2007. At its peak in 2007, there were 1,698 heroin seizures, while in 2009 it came to 1,455, a 14% reduction.

The general population survey reported 1.7% of adults used cocaine in the year prior to the survey and that the percentage was higher among young adults, 3.1%, and men, 2.3%. Ireland is ranked fifth highest in the EU for cocaine use. In 2008, of those who entered treatment, up to 17%, 761 people, reported cocaine as their primary use. What really must be examined for the future is the number of cocaine deaths which increased from ten in 2003 to 63 in 2007 while the number of seizures rose from 566 to 1,749. However, it decreased significantly in 2009.

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