Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In response to a parliamentary question, I was advised by the HSE that the number of emergency inpatient discharges relating to steroid use was 174 in 2011 and last year that had increased to 398. Some aspects of the problem need to be dealt with from a health perspective but tackling the importation and sale of illegal substances is a justice matter and more needs to be done to stop the drugs being sold in gyms and sports clubs. Given that there is an increase in such drug use, if we fail to tackle this issue now it will go further underground.

I fully appreciate the Minister's response and I accept that this is, in part, a matter for the Department of Health but aspects of this problem need to be addressed from the perspective of justice, which means tackling the importation and sale of illegal substances.

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