EHB AGREES TO HALVE DRUG CLINIC NUMBERS

The Eastern Health Board has agreed to halve the number of places at a
drug treatment centre in the Millbrook Lawns area of Tallaght after
local residents and business people complained of an influx of
patients from outside the locality.

From September 1st next, only 40 drug users from a designated local
area will receive treatment at the clinic. This will be reviewed next
March when a further 20 addicts will be allowed admission but only if
they reside in the immediate parish.

Of the 40 patients who will no longer be treated at the clinic, 24
will be transferred either to local GPs or to community projects.
Alternative places have yet to be found for the remainder.

A spokeswoman for the EHB said there was "no question" of treatment
ending for these patients. "We are committed to providing a continuous
service and will be looking for alternative locations in the Tallaght
area."

The agreement was reached at a meeting between the EHB and the local
community on Thursday night. Under the deal, only addicts from
Millbrook Lawns, Old Bawn and Glenview will be admitted to the clinic.
Also, new security measures will be introduced, including
closed-circuit television cameras and the posting of a security guard
outside rather than inside the centre.

The clinic has been open since October last. However, it was not until
there was a fire there four weeks ago that local feelings were
galvanised. Earlier this month, there were angry protests when the EHB
introduced a mobile clinic to care for the addicts while the centre
was being repaired.

Mr Tony Walsh, joint owner of St Dominic's shopping centre, who
chaired the Thursday night meeting, said "it was never the case that
local people were against treating their own. What we had a problem
with was large numbers of people from outside the area coming in and
wrecking the place." He admitted many people from the locality were
attending clinics elsewhere.