Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

An individual may wish to consider attending their GP, who can do a full assessment and make appropriate referrals. There is also the HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline which is a confidential service through a freephone Helpline (1800 459 459) and an email support service (helpline@hse.ie). The HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline provides support, information, guidance and referral to anyone with a question or concern related to drug and alcohol use and/or HIV and sexual health. The service is non-judgmental and offers space to talk about your situation, to explore some options and to consider your needs. During calls/ emails, staff refer to a database of over 400 services nationwide. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm. There is a directory of drug and alcohol services per county on www.drugs.ie/services. Further information on seeking support for drug use can be found on www.drugs.ie and for alcohol on www.askaboutalcohol.ie.