Written answers

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Department of Health

National Drugs Strategy Implementation

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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409. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the Health Service Executive’s consideration in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 of adoption of a standard definition and national protocol concerning waiting times for opiate treatment with a view to ensuring a comprehensive data system is in place to monitor the progress of opiate treatment service provision. [43176/14]

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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410. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the plans by the Health Service Executive, as outlined in the National Drugs Strategy 2009 - 2016, to review the issue of data collection and analysis with a view to developing a more comprehensive data system for management and research purposes to address the particular difficulty with a lack of available data on the length of time people are remaining on methadone. [43177/14]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together.

In September 2013, the HSE developed Guidelines and Procedures for the National Waiting List for Treatment of Opiate Addiction. The purpose of these guidelines and procedures is to provide a standardised methodology for the collection and recording of data on the national waiting list for treatment of opiate addiction. The HSE has advised that the Guidelines can be used for performance indicator recording into the future. The criteria includes validation between the different waiting lists and the Central Treatment List. The Central Treatment List provides data on retention rates and on the length of time people are remaining on methadone. My Department will forward a copy of the National Waiting List Guidelines and Procedures document to the Deputy for his information.

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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411. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 358 of 21 October 2014, if he will provide details of the proposed programme of work to be carried out by his Department in developing the national drugs strategy to meet future challenges relating to the problem of substance misuse. [43178/14]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has commenced work on the development of the National Drugs Strategy in order to meet new emerging trends and patterns in problem drug use. The overall approach to the development of the new Strategy will be considered at the next meeting of the Oversight Forum on Drugs in January 2015. Progress in relation to the implementation and roll-out of the current Strategy will also be considered at the next meeting of the Forum.

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