Information leaflets on drug and addiction services are to be published in a number of languages in response to the growing number of non-Irish nationals with drug problems.
Cathal Morgan, national drug strategy manager with the Health Service Executive (HSE), confirmed the plan to publish material "in a range of languages".
While the plan is "at a very early stage", he said multilingual information was one of the ways information would be disseminated to different ethnic groups seeking help with drug problems.
He said the HSE's population health directorate would begin consulting treatment services, NGOs and ethnic organisations next month on how best to get information to the groups that needed it. He hoped a strategy would be in place by next year.
"It's a difficult and sensitive area. There are sensitivities in different groups and we want to make the information available in a way that makes sense. Leaflets in different languages is one way."
He said information could also be channelled through ethnic groups' own organisations and local drug treatment services.
Responding to a call from Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin's spokesman on social affairs, for the distribution of drug services information in different languages, Mr Morgan said the HSE "will work in partnership with both the local and regional drugs taskforces in identifying [ how best] to make information available to . . . Ireland's multicultural society".
The move was welcomed yesterday by Merchants Quay Ireland, the largest voluntary drug treatment centre in the State. The centre last year published information about its services in Polish and Romanian, as well as English.
Tony Geoghegan, director of the centre, said the appearance of non-Irish nationals at its needle exchange and drug treatment services was a relatively recent phenomenon.
"Initially we would have seen immigrants, particularly from eastern Europe and Africa, at our homelessness service and food centre, but that is now crossing into our drug treatment. We had always seen some non-nationals but the numbers are definitely growing."
The charity had not gathered definitive data on numbers.
"They are using the same drugs as Irish users - mostly heroin and cocaine. They are from Poland, Latvia, Romania, Africa - a mixed bunch."
There were particular issues faced by non-Irish drug users. Some groups, said Mr Geoghegan, were more reticent about presenting for treatment than Irish users, "for a variety of reasons".
Some feared the implications for their right to stay in the State if they were found to be using drugs. Some were suspicious of service providers in general, and others feared being "found out" by members of their own community, where drug misuse may be particularly stigmatised.
"This move by the HSE is very welcome. We have found it very necessary to start addressing the issue, with some of our volunteers and staff studying the languages . . . so as to be better equipped to offer an adequate service," Mr Geoghegan said.
