Minister for Health Mary Harney has warned that drug abuse is a major challenge for society.
Ms Harney was reacting to figures that show the number of heroin addicts in the country was about to top 10,000 for the first time.
She said drug abuse was a cancer affecting all parts of society.
The number of people getting methadone treatment has almost doubled in the past ten years, from just over 5,000 in 1998 to just under 10,000 today.
Most addicts live in Dublin, but many counties which never had a heroin problem are now experiencing strong demand for methadone treatment facilities.
