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

This is an area of major concern, yet it is the first Government in, I understand, 21 years where we have not had a designated Minister with specific responsibility for drugs. There has been a 37% cut to drugs services over the past five years, and this is showing itself in the strain experienced by people entrusted with the delivery of drug addiction services. They have to cope with significant caseloads, in particular in Dublin city where addiction counsellors are trying to cope with more than 200 individual cases each.

The challenge in any one of these is significant and that any one counsellor would be asked to cope with 200 client cases presents difficulties. It is very important that the real breaking points are noted in the current service, not only in the Dublin region but across the country. I ask the Minister, apart from the response he has given, to outline the measures he now intends to take to address this most serious area which is currently seriously under-resourced.

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