Council pushing for detox centre in Derry to be prioritised with Tamzin White testimony putting fresh focus on the issue

Addressing the February meeting of the council’s Health & Community Committee he said: “Addiction is a scourge on our society and I’m sure there are not many families across our city and district who have been left unaffected by it.”

The Ballyarnett representative said no-one could fail to be moved by the testimony of Tamzin White the heartbroken daughter of Louise O’Doherty White who was just 40 when she died last month after a battle with addiction.

The 18-year-old recently told the ‘Journal’ she believed her mother would still be alive if there was a detox centre in the city.

She has started a petition demanding the establishment of a dedicated facility in Derry.

Colr. Farrell said: “Obviously, there have been renewed calls by young Tamzin White for a detox centre in this city. And whilst such a facility would not fix the problem of addiction, it would be a step in the right direction.

“I think we as a council should contact the decision makers, be it the Health Minister, the Western Trust, the Health & Social Care Board to ask - what are your plans to improve addiction services across our city and district, including a detox facility.

“I am also mindful of the UK Government’s New Decade, New Approach commitment for additional funding to support the Derry addiction centre.”

Last week in the Stormont Assembly Colr. Farrell’s party colleague Mark H. Durkan asked the First Minister Arlene Foster for an update on the commitment to an addiction unit in Derry that was made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement last year.

The First Minister said: “I was struck by a piece on, I think, Radio Ulster last week on the need for addiction services. My colleague Gary Middleton has raised the issue with me on a number of occasions.

“As the Member rightly says, it is a New Decade, New Approach commitment. Therefore, we need to include it in our discussion about prioritisation in New Decade, New Approach.

“As he knows, there is a whole range of commitments in ‘New Decade, New Approach’, and some of them will not be able to be facilitated during this mandate. As the five parties in the Executive, we have to have a discussion about those that need to be prioritised. I have to say that I agree with him that funding for that addiction centre needs to be a priority.”

Speaking at the Health and Community Committee Colr. Farrell said: “I think we should contact the British Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, to ask him - what are you doing about this, or what have you done about this, and when can we expect actual delivery?

“And finally, I think we should invite representatives from the local addiction sector to present to council so we can hear first-hand the challenges that the sector is facing on a daily basis and to hear what solutions they have to the growing addiction problem that our society faces.”