Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have been to the county, including Clonmel, and seen the great work that the services there are doing. National drug treatment data show that 380 cases were treated for problem drug use in Tipperary in 2021. Of these, 114 were treated for cocaine as the main problem. Separately, there were 294 cases treated for problem alcohol use. Drug services in Tipperary are provided by the HSE, regional drugs and alcohol task forces and section 39-funded community and voluntary groups. I am providing a comprehensive report on these services for the Deputy.

The Government's health-led response to drug and alcohol use is set out in the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. My priorities for the strategy are to strengthen the prevention of drug and alcohol use and the associated harms among children and young people and to enhance access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community. In budget 2023, I secured €4 million in new development funding to expand the provision of drug and alcohol services to meet changing patterns of drug use and emerging trends. This investment will expand community-based drug and alcohol services, ensure the sustainability of residential treatment services and increase their capacity, mitigate the impact of drugs on children, families and communities, and strengthen drug monitoring and harm reduction. Full details are set out in the budget fact sheet.

I am committed to a health-led approach to drug use, one that promotes a compassionate and humane approach to people who use drugs, with addiction treated first and foremost as a public health issue.

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