The Minister of State responsible for the National Drugs Strategy Team plans to "confront" local authorities over the policy of evicting tenants for anti-social behaviour which, he says, is being used against drug-users instead of just drug-pushers.
Mr Chris Flood said authorities had to draw a "clear distinction" between drug-pushers 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 drug-users 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 co-ordinator, 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 drug-users 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 drug-users 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 drug-users 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 anti-social behaviour to have their situation reviewed to see if their behaviour had changed.