The “Bring a Detox Unit to Derry” group taking part in this year’s Bloody Sunday Walk for Justice.
A petition containing 48,000 signatures calling for a detox centre in Derry, was today handed over to the Stormont Assembly.
SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey was presented with the petition last week by campaigners and today he passed it on to the Assembly.
The campaign began following the death earlier this year of local teenager, Andrew Quigley, who took is own life after he had sought help for a drug and alcohol addiction but was told no help would be available to him until he quit the habits.
The late Andrew Quigley.
Presenting the petition to the Speaker of the Assembly, Derry DUP MLA William Hay, Mr Ramsey said he did so on behalf of “many people” in Derry who felt aggrieved at the recent decision not to have a detoxification centre in the city.
Pointing out there were an additional 12,000 names on an online campaign, Mr Ramsey called on the Health Minister to “look again” at providing a detox centre in the city.
Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Ramsey said: “Mr Speaker, you will be surprised and shocked to learn that, today, there are 48,000 signature and 12,000 names online as part of a Facebook campaign.
“In all my years in the Assembly, I have never seen a petition of such magnitude. That is evidence of the concerns of so many.
“There is a realisation that there is an unmet need in our city.
“None of us in the House or in our constituencies can look at our families, our neighbours and members of our community and not see those faced with addiction problems, whether that be alcohol misuse or abuse or, in many cases, alcohol or substance abuse.
“Andrew Quigley lost his life several months back. That was a triggering mechanism for many people.
SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey.
“I commend the small action group in the city, which very patiently and methodically gathered the names over a number of months, highlighting the issue of a young man whose mother, Colette, said publicly that her son could not get access to addiction services.
“Had he had access to detoxification, his life may have been saved. I say very honourably in the House that, if there were a detoxification centre in Derry, my heart and soul tells me that lives would be saved.
“I ask the Health Minister and the healthcare trust commissioning body to look again at the decision.
“Derry is not just another town or city; it is the second city of Northern Ireland. It is the capital of the North West.
“As such, there are people who believe that the House, the Assembly and the Executive have failed them.
“I will meet the Health Minister soon after this debate. I appeal to him directly to look at the evidence because, for a number of years, there has been a detoxification centre in Omagh.
“There was never any evidence that families, and young people in particular, had access to that treatment centre in Omagh.
“I know that you share some of my concerns. I am glad that you share those concerns and support the campaign wholeheartedly.
“It is for the House and all political parties in it to support the campaign. We have here the names of almost 60,000 people from the city of Derry, which has a population of 110,000, who are saying that we need a detoxification centre.”
In response, the Speaker said: “I will forward the petition to the Health Minister and send a copy to the Chair of the Health Committee.”
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