Health boards should be responsible for drug treatment services in prisons in the same way that education in prisons is provided by the VEC, according to a Dublin Labour TD, Mr Joe Costello.
Welcoming an announcement by the Eastern Health Board of increased capacity in their community based clinics programmes, Mr Costello said those undergoing drug treatment programmes prison should be able to graduate to programmes in the community, and vice-versa.
This could only be achieved the same agency was responsible for providing both services, he said.