Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My understanding at present is that more than 13,000 people are receiving treatment for drug addiction. That has increased by more than 1,000 in the past 12 months alone, so there is a major challenge there and there will have to be a joined up approach. As the Deputy knows, the Committee on Drugs Use is dealing with the citizens' assembly report. My Department will have to wait until the committee comes back with its proposals as to how we go forward. We have huge challenges in education, healthcare and a lot of other areas. We must work together to try to reduce the level of dependency on drugs. Unfortunately, it appears now that it will be a growing problem because of the way it has developed over the past few years. There are, however, over 440 centres around the country now dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, and every one of them is working extremely hard to provide the level of care that is required.

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