There was a 25 per cent increase in the number of referrals to the Eastern Health Board's Crisis Intervention Service for "out of home" children last year, according to the board's annual report.
The number of referrals to the service which operates at nights and weekends to assist homeless children and children who have run away from home, increased by over 700 to 3,480.
In a separate announcement, the chief executive of the board, Mr PJ Fitzpatrick said the EHB had this week approved a major redevelopment programme for its two remaining large psychiatric hospitals in Dublin.
The plans will mean the introduction of new services on the campuses of St Brendan's Hospital, Grangegorman and St Ita's Hospital, Portrane.
A new complex will be developed on the Grangegorman site and new acute psychiatric units will be located at the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and St Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park. Two additional secure units and a new occupational therapy unit will be provided at other locations in the EHB region.
Development plans for St Ita's Hospital, Portrane include the provision of modern units for clients with severe learning difficulties, a special care unit for children, a new day care service and small residential clusters.
The board's 1997 report, which was released yesterday, reported an increase of 998 in the number of people treated for drug addiction at addiction centres, satellite clinics and by general practitioners. The increase meant a total of 3,661 people were treated. The report said it was likely that the number of heroin addicts in the greater Dublin area is not less than 8,000 to 10,000 and that the provision of services for drug users is "one of the greatest challenges facing the board".
The total number of GPs providing treatment for stable drug users went up by 23 last year to 81 in total. Seven new satellite clinics and a new addiction centre were opened. Two new needle exchange clinics were created, giving a total of 11 clinics.
An extra five beds were introduced in the Cuan Dara in-patient detoxification unit, which admitted 142 people during the year. An evaluation of the first year's activity suggested that 39 per cent of all those who completed the detox and aftercare programme were drug free after 10 weeks.
