One of Ireland's leading Irish charities has called on the Government to provide more detox and drug-free treatment places.
The Merchants Quay Ireland Annual Report for 2004 says the numbers of homeless people and drug users seeking help has continued to rise.
The report indicates a 9 per cent rise in visits to its needle-exchange service and a 20 per cent rise in visits to its open access homeless services.
The charity says increases in the numbers coming forward for help have placed even greater pressure on the already inadequate number of detoxification and drug-free treatment beds.
Tony Geoghegan, director of Merchants Quay Ireland, said: "There are now more than 7,500 people on methadone in the State. This is a positive development; however, methadone is only one of a wide spectrum of options that should be available to those tackling their drug use.
"It is deplorable that there are less then 30 detoxification beds and only 150 residential drug free beds to treat approximately 14,500 problem opiate users, " he said.
"What we are asking . . . is simply that the Government put new resources into detoxification and drug free treatment options as a matter of great urgency to bring us into line with international best practice."