FLOOD CRITICISES EVICTION OF DRUGUSERS

The Minister of State responsible for the National Drugs Strategy Team
plans to "confront" local authorities over the policy of evicting tenants
for antisocial behaviour which, he says, is being used against drugusers
instead of just drugpushers.

Mr Chris Flood said authorities had to draw a "clear distinction" between
drugpushers and drugusers. "It is unacceptable to me to see a young
person coming to my clinic under pressure and perhaps being forced out
because of their personal drug use."

He said the interpretation of current legislation might need to be "looked
at more sympathetically by local authorities". The issue would be reviewed
during an evaluation of the 13 local drugs task forces next month and
recommendations might be put forward on the legislation.

He said the local drugs task forces had not catered adequately for homeless
drugusers so there was "clearly a gap" to be addressed.

Mr Flood was speaking at the presentation of certificates to 34 people who
had completed a course run by the Merchant's Quay Project on how to cope
with homeless drug addicts. The people who completed the course, "Coping
with the Drugs Crisis", work for agencies providing services to the
homeless, such as Focus Point, Simon and St Vincent de Paul.

Mr Tony Geoghegan, the Merchant Quay Project's coordinator, said the
course had run out of funding. Mr Flood said he would "intervene directly"
to help source funds.

Mr Geoghegan said the number of homeless drugusers was on the increase due
to communities putting pressure on them and evictions by local authorities.
A survey in May of a sample of 250 drugusers at the unit found that one
third reported being homeless or in unstable accommodation.

He said drugs services in London and Birmingham were reporting a increase
in the numbers of Irish drugusers coming to them saying they had been
forced to leave their homes.

Mr Geoghegan said the law was "too black and white" in failing to allow
those evicted for antisocial behaviour to have their situation reviewed to
see if their behaviour had changed.