John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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658. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the increasing number of drug related deaths and suicides taking place in south-west County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15014/18]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Drug Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) is an epidemiological database administered by the Health Research Board which records cases of death by drug and/or alcohol poisoning and death among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent. The Health Research Board published a report on the NDRDI in December 2017, which analyses deaths up to 2015, the latest year for which data are available.

The HRB report indicates that in 2015, there were 695 drug-related deaths in Ireland. Of these, 36 were recorded for individuals living in the local health office area (LHO) of Dublin South West.

Of these, 14 were poisoning deaths (directly due to the consumption of drugs including alcohol). Most deaths involved an opioid drug.

A further 22 were deaths recorded in people who use drugs in 2015 in LHO Dublin South West. Of these, 11 were due to traumatic causes and 7 were due to medical causes.

I am committed to minimise the harm caused by the use and misuse of substances, especially where this harm can lead to death. My Department's initiative to establish a supervised drug injecting facility in Dublin inner city will contribute to this objective.