Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is the Minister of State aware of the study by the National Documentation Centre on Drug Use which was published last year under the auspices of the Health Research Board? It found that 49% of opiate-dependent clients surveyed had reported using non-prescribed benzodiazepines in the previous month. The greatest number of these are former heroin users who are on methadone, but this clearly demonstrates either over-prescription of these drugs, which are being sold on by those for whom they were prescribed, or that these drugs are being wrongly prescribed so that people have them to pass on, which they are clearly doing.

The authors of the report recommend a more formal and active assessment of the needs of clients on methadone treatment and rapid access to evidence-based treatment for benzodiazepine misuse. Will the Minister of State adopt these recommendations, or has he already investigated the implementation of the recommendations of that report?

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