Government must act to open 49 drug treatment beds left idle due to funding
Government must act to open 49 drug treatment beds left idle due to funding - The Labour Party
- 49 homeless addiction treatment beds lying empty since October 2024.
- €35.9m million spent by Government to build 100 beds in the new Dublin Simon Community Health and Addiction Treatment Facility at Ushers Island.
- Fully operational facility would provide healthcare for 1,264 to 1,450 homeless adults and would save lives.
- Department of Health made a commitment in 2019 to meet the operational cost of this facility but has only provided enough funding to operate 51 beds.
- Facility provides stabilisation, detox, and residential treatment services.
- Health Research Board shows 86% of the 128 people who died while homeless in 2021 had a history of substance misuse.
Labour Spokesperson on Health and TD for Dublin Central, Marie Sherlock, is calling on the Government to step up and fund all 100 beds in the new Dublin Simon Community Health and Addiction Treatment Facility in Ushers Island.
Deputy Sherlock raised this matter with the Taoiseach in the Dáil today.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“Ireland has one of the highest numbers of drug induced deaths in Europe, with 354 drug poisoning deaths recorded in 2021.
“Recent research published by the Health Research Board on the death of persons in homelessness shows that of the 128 homeless people who died in 2021, 86% had a history of substance misuse.
“The state spent €36 million building a 100-bed treatment and recovery facility in Ushers Island, one of the first of its kind in Europe, run by the Dublin Simon Community. And yet, since its completion in October 2024, only 51 of the 100 beds are available for use due to funding.
“49 beds in this new facility are lying idle. And it is our exceptionally vulnerable homeless people who are being failed, yet again.
“This fully operational facility will save lives.
“We have a ridiculous situation where the Government made a very welcome capital investment in this facility but has not provided the operational funding to put that investment into use.
“The Department of Health made a commitment that it would meet the ongoing operational cost of this facility back in 2019. And yet, we see that they have yet to fulfil this commitment. I understand that negotiations with the Department have been ongoing throughout 2024.
“It is now imperative that the Government acts to fully fund the operational cost of this facility so that Dublin Simon Community can operate fully staffed service at full capacity.
“The Government must commit to doing more to ensure that as many people as possible have access to vital addiction treatment and recovery services in this country.”