Drug treatment centres to close

THE possible closure of two large community based drug
treatment programmes in Ballyfermot, which has one of the highest rates of drug
misuse in the country, will have devastating consequences for the area, it has
been warned.

According to local activists, budgetary cutbacks have
meant that the drug treatment centre at the Ballyfermot Star, which catered for
almost 500 drug users last year, is in danger of closing.

The project, which is one of the largest community drug
treatment schemes in the country, provides a wide range of services to help
recovering drug addicts.

It comprises a crèche, counselling, education and
community employment schemes that are available for drug misusers and their
families.

Meanwhile, the HSE has revealed that it plans to close
the Aisling methadone maintenance clinic, located on the site of the Cherry
Orchard Hospital in March.

It is also understood that approximately 270 recovering
addicts who use the service will be transferred to two other clinics in
Clondalkin and in Dublin 8.

Sunniva Finlay, the manager of the Ballyfermot Star,
said the Department of Environment had informed her it would cease its entire
annual mainstream funding of over

?¬148,000 to the community drugs project.

She said the cut would affect frontline staff who work
directly with drug users and added that without the funding the Ballyfermot
Star would close down.

“The
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government informed
Ballyfermot Star in December.

“This drastic cut was announced without any prior
notice. It will effectively close down Ballyfermot Star. Three of the most
senior post holders in the organisation and one part time post will be made
redundant.

?

Ms Finlay said the closure of the service and the loss
of the multiple support services to hundreds of local families would have a
devastating im-pact on the area.

“Ending mainstream funding to Ballyfermot Star will
have devastating consequences for the community. There is nowhere comparable
for Ballyfermot Star service users to go to access services in Ballyfermot.

?

The chairperson of Ballyfermot Star, Ailbhe Smyth, said
management at the community drug project were engaged in negotiations with
officials from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in
a bid to persuade them to reverse the cut.

Deputy Aengus O Snodaigh (SF) said the HSE had
confirmed to him that the Aisling Clinic at Cherry Orchard Hospital would be
closed permanently in March.

He said the HSE plans to send its 270 clients at the
clinic to the nearest two methadone maintenance programmes on Fonthill Road in
Clondalkin and one in Dr Steven’s Hospital in Dublin 8.

He added that local activists were concerned that the
HSE had no plans to reopen a methadone treatment centre in the Ballyfermot
area.

?

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment,
Community and Local Government said it provided

?
drugs funding to Ballyfermot Star in 2011.

? the spokesman said.

He added that the Ballyfermot Star project also
receives funding from the HSE, FAS and through Pobal.

He pointed out that the total funding the project
received from these three sources amounted to over

?¬1.43 million in 2011.

?

A spokesperson for the HSE said the development of a
new, state-of-the art 26 bed unit for child psychiatric services on the Cherry
Orchard campus required the Aisling Clinic service to transfer to alternative
accommodation.

“The closure of the clinic will not affect the
continuation of treatment for service users,

“The HSE
is currently looking at a number of locations for the transfer but this process
is in the early stages and no decision has been made. When all the options have
been examined the HSE will ensure the relocation is done with minimal
disruption for all concerned.”