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

The Government admits that there are significant specific challenges facing vulnerable individuals utilising homeless and addiction services in the north inner city. The Deputy made a point about emerging trends. A group has been set up to look at emerging trends. As I said, we saw where crack cocaine was taking hold in the north inner city, in Ballymun and in Tallaght, as well as in Limerick and we addressed that with funding. I visited Tallaght only two weeks ago. Those I met said that it had made a difference. Perhaps we could have been quicker in our response. Sometimes we need to be a bit more focused on those emerging trends. We have set up that group in the Department. It is monitoring all the various trends on the ground as well. I have lead responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy across Departments and Government agencies. A priority for the strategy to develop integrated care pathways for high-risk drug users, including people who are homeless, offenders and injecting drug users, to achieve better health outcomes. As the Deputy is aware, such people have very complex health and social care needs. It is an issue which goes across many different Departments. As I have said, different agencies including the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, the Department of Health-----

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