Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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This is the first opportunity I have had to address the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, in the Chamber since her appointment. I congratulate Deputy Byrne on her appointment as Minister of State and hope that her addressing during the term of this Dáil the twin scourges of drug and alcohol abuse will be a success.

There is an urgent need to properly resource the Cavan and Monaghan drug and alcohol awareness service through increased and realistic resourcing and the provision of essential personnel to sustain this most important service, including the appointment of two full-time senior staff members to deal with case management and rehabilitation co-ordination, and a dedicated young person's counsellor who would double as a prevention education officer and an administrative staff member, all of which are essential positions to the current needs of the service. As well as the above, there is a clearly identified need for another counsellor for the adult service on a part-time basis and for a part-time family support worker.

All of the above and more are part of the basic services that already apply in comparable settings in Dublin and elsewhere. Why is it, given the significant heroin addiction problem and other harrowing substance abuse statistics for Cavan and Monaghan, that people there have to beg and to do so facing the real prospect of losing what they have?

The Cavan and Monaghan drug and alcohol service currently has four full-time employees covering two counties in what was the largest geographical constituency in the country. This is the only dedicated substance addiction service across these two Border counties. It deals with approximately 100 people each week. Great praise is due to the two general practitioners who operate the methadone clinic within the service. While the official capacity for a two-GP service is set at around 60, these great doctors, Dr. Maguire and Dr. Halligan, see approximately 75 heroin addicts each week. There are a further 12 known heroin addicts on a waiting list to be seen, many of them waiting for much longer than the three months that applies to the shortest waiting time across their number. There is no needle exchange or harm reduction service in Cavan and Monaghan. The Cavan and Monaghan drug and alcohol service is willing to take on this role if given the go ahead by the HSE. It has been waiting three years for that response.

There is a service level agreement with the HSE to deliver services on its behalf. Additional funding was applied for again last year but no response has issued. Funding has remained static at €213,000 per annum for each of the last three years. The current level of service provision is only possible because of the support of volunteers, community employment participants, Tús workers and student placements. Training is provided but none of these staff is able to stay and are lost to the service when they are arguably able to make a worthwhile contribution. We cannot build on such a human resources dependency. The experience and dedication of the lead players is what keeps this service together. Theirs is an heroic effort. I take this opportunity to acknowledge each of those people.

What price do we pay for our head-in-the-sand approach to such critical services? Untreated drug problems are contributing to the national hospital trolley crisis, over-crowding in our prison system, increases in crime statistics and overloading of our criminal prosecution system, not to mention the agony and misery of the victims of crime. Our problems are not confined to heroin addiction. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and I were members of the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and as such she will be aware of the two tragic deaths of young people within my community because of herbal high misuse. I appeal to her to look at the needs of the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for his kind words. The Deputy will be aware that I have recently been given responsibility for the national drugs strategy, which aims to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society through the misuse of drugs. I am keenly aware from my own work at community level that the drugs problem is a complex and challenging issue that has far-reaching consequences for problem drug users, their families and the wider community and society.

The Oversight Forum on Drugs, which I chair, is responsible for the high level monitoring of the implementation of the strategy across key Departments and agencies. I intend to convene a meeting of the forum in July to receive an update from all the stakeholders on their progress in delivering on the objectives of the current strategy.

In regard to the Deputy's question, the HSE currently provides a range of addiction services in the Cavan and Monaghan region to support people experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol, including a full-time primary counsellor. I am informed that Cavan and Monaghan Drug Awareness Trust, a key project supported by the north-east regional drug and alcohol task force, receives €213,000 in annual funding from the HSE to provide a range of addiction services in the region. These services include the provision of prevention and education initiatives and treatment and rehabilitation programmes. The trust is also responsible for the co-ordination of the methadone maintenance programme in the region. The north east regional drug and alcohol task force also plays an important role in the delivery of measures under the national drugs strategy, including in the Cavan and Monaghan region, such that there is a targeted response to the drug problem.

In addition, the HSE provides over €93,000 on an annual basis to Cuan Mhuire Teoranta, Ballybay, to deliver a transition residential programme and community counselling to people suffering with addictions, their families and others affected by addiction. This service also facilitates weekly meetings of mutual aid and aftercare support groups.

I am advised that HSE community health care organisation area 1 is undertaking a review of existing drug and alcohol services in Cavan and Monaghan. The outcome of the review will inform the future addiction service needed in the Cavan-Monaghan region including the need for any additional staff.

One of my main priorities this year is the development of a new national drug strategy, which will take effect from January 2017 when the current strategy expires. This process is being overseen by a steering committee, chaired by John Carr, the former general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO. The development of the new strategy will provide an opportunity to have a constructive and wide-ranging public dialogue on the approach to drug use. The outcomes will also have a bearing on the kind of services and initiatives that we need to put in place to tackle the drug problem effectively, including in counties Cavan and Monaghan.

I acknowledge the work Deputy Ó Caoláin has done. As I complete the first two weeks of my time as Minister of State I pledge that I will consider all the things he has said and bring them to the relevant agencies. During the whole process we may be able to consider this again because drug addiction services should not be based in Dublin alone. They should be throughout the country. There is a need in Monaghan and other counties to be more effective in supporting and dealing with those who have drug addiction problems.