The total lack of a needle exchange programme for drug users in Drogheda was raised in the Dáil yesterday by Deputy Fergus O’Dowd during an exchange with Justice Miniter Heather Humphries in which he also called for more communication from, and local representation on, the Drogheda implementation board.
“The difficulty is that the HSE has not engaged appropriately with the Red Door Project. Unfortunately, the needle exchange programme, which was provided by the HSE, ceased operation on 10 May 2021” Deputy O’Dowd said.
“Currently, no needle exchange programme is being provided at the Red Door Project and there are no clean needles available to people who need them. We have brought it to the attention of the HSE”.
He said that people are most concerned at the lack of action and engagement on the part of the HSE and that action on the issue must be fast-tracked and needs to be taken now.
“It is not acceptable that the Red Door Project, which the Minister rightly and properly fully supports, is not getting the support it needs from the HSE” O’Dowd said.
Minister Humphreys said she was disappointed to hear the HSE is not engaging with the Red Door Project and promised to raise the issue with the Minister for Health
“Grants have been provided to the Red Door Project. My Department is engaging with the HSE on the provision of funding to the family addiction support network” she said, adding that “…the whole of Government is committed to supporting the implementation of the plan for Drogheda.
Returning to the issue of the Drogheda implementation plan as a whole, the Minister pointed out that, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, there was a welcome reduction in most categories of criminal activity in the Louth division in the second quarter of this year.
“The Deputy might be interested to note that as of 30 September 2021, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 396 Garda members assigned to the Louth division. This represents an increase of over 30% since December 2016, when there were 302 members assigned to the division.”
Deputy O’Dowd acknowledge the fantastic job that has been done by the local Garda and the Department of Justice but reiterated that there must be improvement in communication between the HSE and the Red Door Project. “Action on the part of the HSE speaks louder than words” he said.
O’Dowd said that there needed to be representatives from the local community and also from business and employers on the Drogheda implementation board.
“It was not a recommendation of the Geiran report, but I think it needs to be introduced now” he said.
“Local involvement is needed at the top, because there is a feeling of distance from some community groups. They do not know what is happening and are not being informed by the implementation board through the local media as to what is happening. That is a deficit.
