122. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health Information on Leo Varadkar the number of addiction counsellors allocated to deal with alcohol. [13582/15]

123. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health Information on Leo Varadkar the date that addiction counsellor services were extended to include a service provision to persons experiencing problems with alcohol. [13583/15]

124. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health Information on Leo Varadkar the number, by geographical area, of addiction counsellors employed by the Health Service Executive to provide a service to alcohol misusers. [13584/15]

Minister for Health (Deputy Leo Varadkar): I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 to 124, inclusive, together.

 The provision of services to prevent and treat addiction to alcohol is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have referred this question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.

 As the Deputy may recall, on 3 February 2015, the Government approved the General Scheme of a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. The aim is to reduce alcohol consumption to the OECD average by 2020 (i.e. 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita) and the harms caused by alcohol. The Bill is part of a suite of measures agreed by the Government in 2013 on foot of the recommendations in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy. The other measures (eg for the HSE, professional bodies etc) set out in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, were endorsed by Government and are to be progressed by the relevant departments and organisations. The HSE has responsibility for implementing a number of recommendations and some of these measures are reflected in the HSE Service Plan for 2015.

[See PDF above for HSE response]