18. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the current deficit in addiction rehabilitation, detox and step-down beds. [2024/24]

Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Health: The number of residential beds available for drug treatment services in 2023 was 1,036.

According to 2022 National Drug Treatment Reporting System data the total number of cases treated for problem drug use was 12,009. This is the highest annual number recorded to- date. 1,458 cases received inpatient (overnight) treatment. Separately, there were 7,421 cases treated for alcohol as the main problem. Of these, 2,440 received inpatient (overnight) treatment. In total, there were almost 4,000 cases of inpatient treatment for drugs or alcohol in 2022. 

Almost €150 million is allocated annually to the HSE for the provision of addiction services, including community-based services. In 2023, €1.8 million of additional funding was made available for Tier 4 residential addiction treatment services for the purchase of additional treatment episodes across the country. This will benefit individuals requiring residential treatment.

Treatment services for substance use are structured within a 4 Tier Model. The majority of cases requiring intervention, or treatment, are managed within Tier 2 or Tier 3 services within the community. Treatment within Tier 4 will not be necessary or appropriate for all cases. Service users are offered the least intensive intervention appropriate to their need when they present for treatment initially, and where this does not succeed, more intensive interventions are then offered.

In 2024, a new national monitoring system will be piloted with the support of CHO 4 in order to track HSE referrals to Tier 4 residential services. This will standardise information collected across CHO areas and identify patterns to facilitate informed long-term service planning.

I am committed to enhancing access to, and the delivery, of drug services in the community.