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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Members of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Health and Community Committee have given unanimous support to Northlands’ plan for a new purpose-built addiction treatment centre in Derry.
The committee also called on the Department of Health to “work with urgency” to provide the business case needed if the financial support promised for Northlands in the New Decade, New Approach Agreement is to be delivered.
The issue was raised by SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney during Thursday’s meeting of the Health and Community Committee, but the committee agreed that the motion would be proposed jointly in the names of all councillors who spoke on the issue during Thursday’s meeting.
The four-paragraph motion was supported by Sinn Féin, Aontú, Ulster Unionist, Alliance, People Before Profit and DUP councillors, as well as independent members.
Speaking after the meeting, Northlands’ Head of Treatment, Tommy Canning, said: “Northlands is determined to see a new purpose-built addiction treatment centre – a centre of excellence – built here in Derry.
“We know that people right across Northern Ireland need access to treatment and at Northlands we are providing that regional support; but people deserve state of the art facilities and a new centre of excellence can ensure just that.
“We welcome the support of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Health and Community Committee, for our plans for a new centre and are grateful to the Council for highlighting the urgency of the situation.”
Mr Canning continued: “With more than 500 alcohol and drug-related deaths last year (Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the need for investment and action on addiction could not be clearer.
“At Northlands, we are committed to working in partnership with the Department of Health, politicians, local partners and medical professionals to build our new centre – our ‘beacon on the hill’ – ensuring, in the process, that addiction is recognised as an illness and not a choice.”
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